Fated to Destruction
by ghostgirl19
Summary: You shall be wed to a monster, Fu, the town oracle, had said. A master of destruction that both gods and mortals fear. An Eros/Psyche-esque AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a Psyche/Eros-esque oneshot. It gets pretty heated at the end, but the** _ **nasty**_ **isn't written** **.**

* * *

 _You shall be wed to a monster_ , Fu, the town oracle, had said. _A master of destruction that both gods and mortals fear._

 _You shall be brought up to the cliffside of Miraculous tomorrow at dusk to await your future husband._

Her parents had cried, for their only daughter was very likely going to end up being killed by a vicious beast. They had only wanted for her to live a long and happy life, and to hear that it was going to be cut tragically short ruined them.

They, and Marinette, didn't understand this terrible fate. Tom and Sabine were sure their daughter was going to be able to wed a young, handsome man and spend the rest of her life happily baking and sewing while taking care of their children. It was logical that their daughter would end up this way, she was the most beautiful girl in the land.

Her beauty had many practically worshipping her at her feet. Such beauty could catch a husband, no?

Apparently not, as not one suitor has come to ask for her hand.

Marinette didn't understand her fate purely because she had no idea _why_ it was. She always prayed to the gods, was always a faithful and loyal mortal to them. She never spoke against them, never considered herself above them. She never treated _anyone_ that they were beneath her. She greeted everyone with pleasantries and smiles, not once did she belittle anyone.

It may be conceited of her to think so, but she thought of herself to be a genuinely good person. So why should she be punished with a destiny like this?

All she had ever wanted was to be happy. She wanted to bake, sew, and have a man who loved her as deeply as she loved him. She wanted a man who could look past her beauty and fall for the woman beneath.

However, to her disappointment and fear, not one man has come to court or offer her marriage. In fact, some of the men in her town had grown to _hate_ her for some inexplicable reason.

Was there something wrong with her? She had asked Alya, her best friend, if there was but the girl laughed and told her she was being ridiculous.

 _They're just intimidated by you_ , she assured. _The right guy will come along soon enough. You'll see._

Easy for her to say, Marinette thought bitterly. She was already happily married to Nino and had a baby on the way.

Of course when Alya heard the news of her best friend's future, she had cried and held her, trying to convince them both that it wasn't true, that she wouldn't have to be wed to a monster who would most likely kill her.

The ravenette repeatedly told her that she'd be fine, that nothing was going to happen. Neither believed it, but Marinette wanted to remain strong and not have people suffer because of her. She didn't want people getting sad on her account, she wanted them to just continue living their lives as if she hadn't existed.

Now, as she stood at the edge of the cliff, clothed in her black wedding/funeral attire, Marinette contemplated the idea of just throwing herself over and ending all this. She was sure the pain would only last a second, compared to whatever pain this beast of destruction would cause her.

But, for some strange reason, she felt suddenly fatigued. The feeling manifested itself over her entire body, so that in seconds she was lying on the green grass and sleeping as though she didn't have a care in the world.

...

"You owe me big time for this, Noir," Cupid spat, crossing his gloved hands over his chest. "What you made me do is completely the _opposite_ of what I'm meant to do!"

The blond god chuckled and reclined on a nearby cloud, crossing his arms behind his head to complete the pose of relaxation.

"Yeah, it's like you're now _Dark Cupid_ or something," he joked.

The red-suited god rolled his eyes. "Your suggestions for names are even worse than your puns."

Chat Noir brought a clawed hand to his chest in faux mortification. "My puns are _paw_ sitively _meow_ velous! _Mew_ are just jealous."

"You better hope that girl can tolerate them," Cupid remarked. He sighed and shook his head. "I had just the man for her, too. Quiet, polite, an artist; someone that would truly love her."

Chat narrowed his eyes, the green in the irises glimmering dangerously in warning. "Are you suggesting I don't?"

Cupid gulped, his face paled and he straightened as he looked over the bristling feline. Suddenly, he was all too aware of just _who_ he was talking to. Chat Noir, despite his light and joking exterior, was still the only god with the ability to kill another of their kind; immortality was useless against him. With one swipe of his Cataclysm, anything or anyone would be reduced to ashes in seconds.

In short, Cupid had to tread lightly.

"Of course I'm not suggesting that," he scoffed, trying to brush off the obvious tension in the air. "It's just that I already had her perfect match in mind-"

"Key word: _had_ ," the blond corrected darkly. He sat up and glared at the other god. " _I'm_ her perfect match. Just keep driving away her suitors, and our deal will still stand."

Cupid nodded solemnly. Chat cracked a half-grin, for the sake of being polite, and gave him a two-fingered salute before bounding off to places unknown to the love god.

In spite of having the power of love and hate at his fingertips, he couldn't get AntiBug, the goddess of beauty, to fall for him. He thought about pricking her with one of his arrows, but he considered that option to be cheating.

So when Chat Noir had come up to him one day, proposing that he will try to convince AntiBug to give him a chance in exchange for driving away Marinette Dupain-Cheng's suitors, he was all too eager to accept.

Now, he was beginning to slightly regret his decision. Relationships between gods and mortals were chaotic, no one could guess the outcome to one. More often than not it would end with the god abandoning the woman when she became pregnant, for her extra weight wouldn't attract him anymore and he'd leave and search for a thinner companion.

Other times, the woman would end up dead or turned into something horrific by the god's jealous wife.

However, this possible pairing, was going to be an oddity. Chat Noir wasn't married. In fact, as far as Cupid knew, the feline god had never taken on a lover. He wondered what was so special about this mortal girl to draw him in. Because he honestly thought the blond was asexual all this time. Sure, Marinette was said to be the most beautiful creature in all the land, but he thought Chat would be the type to be attracted to more than looks.

Still, whether he was just drawn to her looks or not, it was obvious he was positively smitten. The way he lounged about in their kingdom in the skies, with a dopey grin on his face, how he barely paid attention to his surroundings. Why, there was even a rumor that he began to write _poetry_. Chat had always scorned poetry, claiming it to be too 'cheesy' even for him, but now he was partaking in it?

Pure madness.

Cupid sighed. The God of Destruction and a fragile mortal in a romance...

He could only hope this wouldn't end in a disaster.

All of a sudden he felt his heart start buzzing, indicating the spark of love was soon to ignite. He peered out from his perch on the cloud, and spied a tall man with brown hair and eyes making his way to Marinette's house.

He instinctively pulled out one of the arrows from his holster on his back, the one tipped with the black, hateful rose, and positioned it on the bow. Pulling back the arrow and string, he fired, his shot making a perfect bull's-eye on the man's back.

...

Marinette woke to the most unusual sight in all her 19 years of life.

For there, across the meadow she was previously dozing in, was the largest, most magnificent house that she had ever seen. Pure white, with marble pillars holding the massive roof up, with many, many windows.

It seemed even the heavens were paying respect to the living quarters, as the sun's rays highlighted the mansion. It was as though the house was beckoning to her to step inside.

She looked around. Other than the mansion, there was only forest. No other sign of any possible civilization, and there were no other sounds beside the birds chirping in the trees.

The maiden stood on wobbly legs, trying to remember how she got to this place. She was supposed to be left on the cliff of Miraculous to be offered to whatever beast she was fated to, but then she fell asleep and...

She could recall nothing else.

Well, sitting here wasn't going to solve anything. Besides, maybe the people living in the mansion could kindly tell her how to get back home. If the monster hadn't come to claim her yet, maybe it wasn't going to at all. Maybe it was possible that Fu was wrong in his prediction.

She strode forward with new determination, ready to be on her best behavior when speaking with the occupants of the house and find her way home.

Only, when she knocked on the door, no one answered. The door opened by itself, letting Marinette see the wondrous beauty of the interior, but also the lack of people inside.

"Hello?" She called, hearing her voice echo in the hallways. "Is anybody here? I'm kind of lost, I was hoping someone could direct me to Paris?"

No answer.

Until...

"Hello, there!" A high-pitched voice squeaked. Marinette blinked as a sudden red blur darted close to her face. When her blue eyes focused, she was able to make out a tiny creature with antanae and black spots.

"AH!" She shrieked, stumbling back which caused her to fall to the ground. "B-Bug! Mouse! Bug-Mouse!"

"Oh no!" The 'Bug-Mouse' cried out in panic. "Are you hurt?"

"Keep away!" Marinette ordered, ignoring the creature's concern. Her eyes darted around for something to throw, unfortunately there was nothing available within her reach.

"Marinette, please, calm down," it pleaded. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise! I only want to help make you happy here."

The ravenette stared back in caution at this new bit of information. She was supposed to live here? Also, how did it know her name?

"My name is Tikki. I am a kwami, and the Master has requested that I help make your living here as pleasant as possible. By hurting you, that would break my promise, and the Master would definitely not be pleased."

Marinette raised a curious eyebrow at that. "The Master?" she repeated. "Who's the Master?"

Tikki shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I, and my partner, are sworn to absolute secrecy regarding the Master's identity."

Huh? A partner? But she didn't see any-

"Has she stopped freaking out yet? Her screaming has disturbed my feeding time," a lazy-sounding voice spoke. When Marinette next blinked she found a cat-like black kwami next to Tikki.

Tikki rolled her eyes. "But Plagg, every hour of the day you eat."

Plagg's mouth curved up into a toothy grin. "I know."

Tikki shook her head and redirected her attention to the confused blackette. "Marinette, this is Plagg. He's here to assist you as well. Although, I have to warn you, he _is_ pretty lazy-"

"Which I admit with pride," Plagg cut in, shooting Marinette a wink.

"-and loves to eat cheese, specifically camembert. So don't be surprised if you step into the kitchen and find the place drenched with the stench of it."

" _Stench_?! Camembert is the most delicious thing in the world, and smells amazing! Much better than _cookies_ ," he spat, crossing his little paws over his chest.

"Camembert doesn't even compare to cookies!" Tikki argued.

Marinette watched the two kwamis go back and forth in their exchange, as though she wasn't even there. Should she take this time to leave or ask-

"And now we've been completely ignoring Marinette!" Tikki exclaimed, turning her bright blue eyes to the bewildered girl. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. Is there anything we can do for you? Are you hungry, thirsty?"

She slowly shook her head. "Um, thank you, but no. And, you said I'm supposed to _live_ here...?"

"Oh, yes!" Tikki answered happily, clapping her arms together. Plagg simply let out a huff, wanting to get past all this. In all honesty, he just wanted to stop this silly charade altogether. But Chat Noir was his most loyal friend, and this was the least he could do for him.

"The Master has made this place just for you," Tikki informed.

Marinette blinked and tilted her head. "For me?"

"Yes! All of this," she paused to gesture around the mansion, "belongs to you."

"But why would the Master give me this?"

"Because you're going to be his wife, kid. Now can I please go back to my cheese, I'm starving!" Plagg moaned, throwing his head back.

The young seamstress froze. His wife? Then he must be the monster...

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. She didn't escape him, this whole time he was in his clutches.

Tikki saw the girl trembling and gasped in fear, floating closer to her.

"Marinette? Is everything alright? Are you ill?"

"H-He will be m-my husband?" The mortal asked, fright lacing each of her words. Tikki frowned and resorted to nuzzling the poor girl's cheek.

"Yes, he will be. But what is the problem? Oh, Marinette, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Yeah, just his-" Plagg started to snicker, until he caught Tikki's death glare aimed at him. The black kwami visibly swallowed and halted his previous thought.

Marinette tried to remain strong, to not allow herself to be afraid of the monster and to accept her death with her head held high. But now, with the monster nearly upon her, it was enough to snap her delicate string of strength and break.

"It's okay, Marinette," Tikki cooed. "You're going to be okay."

No, she wasn't going to be okay. Granted, she managed to eventually calm down, but she knew she was going to die that night.

She was silent throughout the dinner that Tikki and Plagg had miraculously made for her, was quiet during the bath that Tikki drew for her. The red kwami kept trying to reassure her of her safety, but it was no use. The girl simply wouldn't listen.

When Marinette was drying off, Tikki suddenly gasped.

"He's coming!"

The blackette's stomach dropped. He was coming? Now?

She frowned, suddenly not feeling so well.

"We must get you dried and dressed!"

Somehow, Marinette's hair was dried in seconds after the sound of Tikki clapping. The loose locks hung past her bare shoulders, her hair shining in a way it never had before. The kwami hurriedly ushered her into the spacious bedroom, where she rifled through a drawer and pulled out a very intimate-looking nightgown.

Marinette couldn't help but blush at the sight of it, the intentions behind a garment like that not escaping her mind.

Tikki flew over and tugged the silk pink nightgown over her body. As soon as the girl was clothed, she prodded her over to the large bed. Marinette looked down at it, already feeling bile rise in her throat.

"Get into bed, he won't be long now," Tikki gently commanded. Marinette had no choice but to follow the soft order. She eased herself in and pulled the covers over herself, her body slightly sinking into the plush mattress.

"Good night!" Tikki bid before flying out of the room, leaving Marinette alone in the dim candlelight of the room.

"W-Wait! I'm not-I can't-Tikki!"

But her cry fell onto deaf ears.

Marinette shakily burrowed deeper into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin as her eyes surveyed the room, looking for any hint of the monster. Her fears doubled as the seconds ticked by.

Suddenly, the room was thrown into darkness. Taken aback, she blinked, thinking that maybe her sight would return to her, but to no avail. She couldn't see the candle flame, the moon, the stars...it was all a pitch black void.

Her breath caught when she heard a soft thump, followed by more sounds. Sounds like feet padding on a carpeted floor.

She bit her lower lip and quietly covered herself completely with the blanket. Maybe it was a dull-witted monster and wouldn't notice her. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to not make any noise, careful to keep her breathing even.

The maiden stilled when she felt the other side of the bed dip in weight.

 _Do not make a sound,_ she mentally ordered herself. _Your life depends on it._

However, the top of the blanket that was covering her head slowly started slipping down. Marinette trembled, yet did not allow herself to cry. This may be her last few precious moments of life, but she wouldn't give into the monster's lust for fear and scream.

"I see you," a masculine voice spoke, sounding like it was teasing her.

So the beast was capable of speech? But she still wasn't going to answer it, no matter how friendly or attractive the voice sounded.

It pulled the blanket down to where her shoulders were revealed.

"Aren't you going to answer?" It questioned, still in that light, teasing voice. "It's very rude to ignore someone who is directly talking to you, you know."

She still refused to speak.

The sound of a tongue clicking filled the air. "What must I do for you to pay me any attention?" It mused thoughtfully. "Hm, I think I know."

Marinette stiffened when she felt a pair of warm lips on her shoulder, lips that felt distinctly _human_. He detached his mouth from her skin when she turned to face him in bewilderment, only to find she couldn't see the-monster's? Human's?-face.

In fact, she still couldn't see anything.

"Well, at least you're facing me now," he chuckled.

She remained silent, admittedly in awe that she wasn't dead yet. Although, he could just be playing with his food.

"Please talk to me," the voice pleaded, now sounding sad, a stark difference to the cheery tone she had heard before. "Please? You have no need to be afraid of me, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I can't see you," she blurted out, the first thing on her mind.

He chuckled. "That's because I made it be so. I can't allow you to see my face, not yet, at least."

A new spike of fear pierced into her stomach. How horrific was this monster in terms of looks?

"Wh-why?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"I can't tell you that," he softly replied. Once again, she stilled when she felt a cool material trailing along her cheek. Material that covered a finger? "But I promise you that one day you'll know everything."

"So you're not going to kill me?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. A monster that wouldn't kill? Strange.

"Gods, no!" He denied. This time, she felt what felt like two hands encompass her cheeks. "I would never harm you, Marinette."

"How do you know my name?" She demanded. Come to think of it, how did Tikki and Plagg know her name as well?

"I know a lot of things about you, Princess," he replied in a tone she couldn't place a direct emotion on. "I know how sweet you are." She feels his lips below her shoulder as he places a kiss on the skin.

"I know how smart you are." Another kiss, moving slightly higher.

"I know how talented you are." Another one.

"I know how selfless you are." Another.

Marinette bit her lip, contemplating on how to feel about this mysterious...being's attention.

"I know how innocent you are."

She blushed hotly at that in pure embarrassment. She wasn't that innocent! She knew plenty! Well...she knew the basic thing of what happened...that she may or may not have found out only after Alya had married and told her what had roughly transpired between her and Nino in hushed whispers.

"I know how caring you are." One more kiss.

"I know how beautiful you are." His kisses had gradually moved closer, off her shoulder, and this time he placed a kiss directly on her collarbone. Marinette felt a foreign tingling in her stomach, something that she didn't really know what it meant.

She had to note, however, how unfair it was that he knew so much about her and she so little about him. When had he learned all of this about her, anyway? Who was he? Did she know of him before all of this mess?

"Who are you?" She breathed.

"I am your husband," he answered, planting another kiss to her collarbone.

Husband? The kwamis have said it before, but it still felt weird to hear him confirm it. There was no ceremony, no rings exchanged-

"Do you like it here?" He questioned, leaning away from her. "Have Tikki and Plagg been helpful to you?"

Marinette nodded despite not having her earlier question completely answered. "Yes, and they have been wonderful to me." It was true. She did like the house, and the kwamis were both friendly and helpful, even if Plagg seemed a bit colder than Tikki.

"I'm glad," he replied. "I had this place made especially for you. I'm happy you like it."

"Who are you?" She asked again, intent on getting an answer.

"I told you, I am your husband," he answered. He picked up her hand and brought it up to his lips. "I am sworn to honor and cherish you for eternity."

"But what am I supposed to call you?" She couldn't keep referring to him as 'he' or 'monster'.

He paused, her hand still hovering below his mouth.

After a few tense seconds, he answered her.

"Adrien."

Adrien? She hadn't known an Adrien around Paris. Perhaps he was a passing customer in the bakery?

"Have we met before?" She inquired, trying to place him.

He chuckled again. "No," he answered, pressing a kiss to her neck. It caused a strange heating sensation to spike in her stomach. "Not until now."

"Then how do you know me?"

He didn't answer, instead drawing closer to her and connecting his mouth to hers. Again that feeling of heat pooled in her stomach and other lower areas. She found herself wanting more of this.

She blindly raised her hands to his head, her fingers finding soft, thick hair. She threaded her fingers through the silken locks, liking how his hair felt between them.

It seemed he liked it too, for a groan rumbled out of his throat and his kiss turned into something harder, and more demanding.

She kept up with his persistent lips as much as she could, her hands travelling further up along his head-

-when she felt two, unusual appendages.

Her mouth halted in her kissing as her fears returned in full volume.

 _He wasn't human. He wasn't human. He's a monster, a monster of destruction._

Her eyes shut, but even that wasn't enough to prevent the tears from leaking out.

Adrien felt her shaking and stopped his affections. When he observed her, he was horrified to find that she was crying.

"Princess?" He asked worriedly. "What is it?"

He had seen plenty of gods and mortals alike completing the act of kissing, it surely didn't look so hard. He had thought he could do it and successfully get Marinette pleasured like the women he had witnessed. Perhaps the act was harder than it looked.

"Y-You're a monster," she whimpered. "A monster of destruction..."

He frowned. He knew he should've gotten Jackady to tell Fu to say something else.

"Marinette," he crooned, taking her hand again. "I am not a monster." He brought her hand along his face, letting her feel his chin, lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead. He took her other hand and guided it along his right shoulder and chest.

"I am a man. You have no reason to fear me, Marinette. I promise you that I'll never hurt you, you have to believe and trust in me."

"How can I?" She snapped, her tears on her cheeks drying as she now grew angry. "How can I trust a man who won't let me see his face?"

"I swear to you that I have good reason," he vowed. "This is only for a short period of time. You will see my face one day, I swear."

He couldn't let her see him now, and recognize him as the most powerful god who ever lived. She'd be in awe and her love for him wouldn't be real. He couldn't let her see his looks, he was well-aware he was particularly handsome and regularly had throes of women at his feet, begging for his attention. If she saw him before she properly loved him, she'd only love him for his looks.

He already entrusted her with the name only few gods knew of. Now it was her turn to trust him.

"I-I-"

He saw her faltering indecision and hovered over her, bending his head close to her face.

"Forget reason and just feel," he murmured before bringing his lips to the hollow of her neck. He gradually made his way over to the side, feeling Marinette slowly relax as he did so. His hand traveled along her smooth leg as he kissed along her neck, finally biting into the spot where neck met with shoulder.

A surge of satisfaction filled him when he heard her pleasured gasp. He couldn't help but smirk as he sucked the soft flesh, intent on leaving his mark on her for when the sun would rise and he would have to leave, giving her a reminder of what would await for her at night.

When he thought it was long enough, he pulled back and observed the mark he made with a pleased grin. She may not have been able to see in the darkness, but he was more than capable of doing so.

Marinette didn't know what Adrien had done, but the action had left her gasping and and more of the strange heat pooling between her legs. Without her sight, it felt like her other senses had been heightened. Every touch was ten times as hot, every whisper ten times as tender, and-

Her thoughts were cut off when he reattached their lips. This time she was unafraid when she tangled her fingers in his hair and happened to brush one of the appendages. By the way he acted, she didn't think he would really hurt her. It seemed like he only wanted to please her.

Besides, excluding the ears, he felt every bit a man. Maybe he just had an anomaly with his body. It wasn't unheard of.

Her eyebrows drew down when she felt his tongue prodding at her lower lip. It appeared he wanted her to open her mouth...

She unsurely did, quickly knowing she made the right decision. She couldn't help but let out a satisfied moan and sigh as his tongue danced with her own. He returned the noise just as pleased as hers had sounded.

She felt her nightgown being slowly hiked up.

Wait.

He said they were husband and wife, and with the way they were now, this could only mean-

Marinette turned her head away, breaking off the heated kiss. "I-I don't-I'm not-" She nervously stammered, trying to find his eyes in the darkness. She didn't know if she could do this, she wasn't ready yet.

She felt the nightgown being dropped from his fingers.

"Shh," he crooned gently, kissing her tenderly on the lips. "Don't be nervous. We don't have to if you don't want to."

"W-We don't?" She repeated questioningly. She had never heard of a man who had let his wife deny him.

"No, we don't. I don't want you to be afraid of me, or resent me. I want your trust and love. How can I achieve that if I take you against your will?"

She didn't answer, for she didn't have one to give.

"I'll even leave if you want me to," he suggested, though she detected hints of sorrow in his tone. "If you don't want me here, I'll go."

Marinette hesitated. She rather liked Adrien, even though she has only known him for a short time. He was able to awaken feelings in her she had only ever heard discussed in hushed voices. Alya had told her that the act he wanted to do may hurt a little at first, but in the end, it would be a pleasure she would never be able to describe. It was the most wonderful thing of being married, Alya had said.

It may have been a wife's duty to obey her husband, but Marinette honestly felt this wouldn't be a duty to fulfill. It would be a sensual indulgence that they would both benefit from.

"Stay," she finally decided. "And...I want you to, uh, keep going." She internally cringed at her wording.

Adrien took her hand to press a kiss on the back of it like how he had done earlier. She felt his smile as he did so.

"I'll do my best," he promised before releasing her hand and kissing her fully on the lips. Marinette felt her insides warm at his declaration. She liked that he wasn't so conceited and sure as to promise her an experience she'd never forget, rather liking his humbleness.

And when he lifted up her nightgown, leaving her bare to him, she had a feeling this was going to be an experience she'd never forget.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You wanted it, and I had the urge to write some more xD**

* * *

 **Part 2**

The rustling of blankets caused the young ravenette to stir from her deep slumber. She wearily opened her eyes and found the room was plunged into darkness.

She heard the soft sounds of a body leaving her bed, her strangely comfortable bed that she couldn't remember ever being so soft.

Her heart pounded when she remembered.

The Oracle, the prediction, the mansion, the _husband._

Her incredibly gentle and loving husband, who whispered sweet nothings in her ear during their passionate lovemaking and who peppered her neck with kisses and love bites, but making sure to give her lips the sweetest of attentions.

Her blush faded when she was brought back to reality and heard the quiet jingling of a bell. Come to think of it, she heard it last night as well.

"Adrien?" Marinette mumbled, still groggy from sleep.

"Right here, Princess," his warm voice answered in the dark. "I'm sorry I awakened you."

She felt the bed dip in weight and her hand being held then lifted.

"Go back to sleep, it's too early to wake," he tenderly whispered before giving her knuckles a kiss.

"Then why are you?" She asked, eyes closed. His suggestion was all too tempting as she snuggled deeper into the warm and mushy pillow beneath her head.

"I have to leave, it's almost dawn," he replied. He released her hand and she felt him get out of the bed.

"Why do you have to leave?" She murmured, his answer disappointing her and causing her to open her eyes again, even though she still couldn't see him. "I thought a husband stayed with his wife the next morning. Did I do something wrong?"

That's what Alya had said. She said that Nino didn't leave her side for a week after they had gotten married. So why was Adrien leaving hers?

"No!" he protested, getting into the bed again. He cupped her face with his hands and she felt his forehead press against hers.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," he continued, quick to dispel her worry and insecurity. "Believe me, there's nothing more I want than to stay by your side all day, but I have work to do. I promise I'll be back tomorrow night."

She smiled at his declaration, but couldn't help but be curious. "What do you do?"

"I'm...ah-a sender of sorts," he replied mysteriously.

"A sender?" she repeated, raising a brow.

"Yeah, a sender," he affirmed, although it sounded like he was trying too hard to convince her. "I really should get going. Plagg and Tikki will take care of you, as always."

Marinette nodded. "Alright." She didn't want him to go, she wanted to get to know him more and spend the day with him. However, she was fully aware that sometimes you didn't get what you wanted in life.

His warm mouth enveloped hers in a kiss that caused her to melt into the affectionate gesture. She closed her eyes and tried to return it just as lovingly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

She felt it was all too soon when he pulled away.

"I'll see you in a few hours. I love you," he bid before leaving the bed. She didn't have the chance to answer when she heard the sound of his footsteps, then silence.

Seconds later her sight returned to her, allowing her to see the rays of the new dawn peeking in her window. She observed the haphazardly thrown sheets on her bed, finding her nightgown in between tufts of blanket.

But when she reached up to grab it, she recoiled as she felt a soreness in between her legs, causing her to groan quietly in pain.

"Oh, Marinette," she heard a voice suddenly coo. The blackette flinched in surprise when she saw Tikki fly to her, looking worried. "I hope you're not hurting too badly."

The little kwami couldn't help but worry if her master had been gentle enough in his ministrations the night before. She knew Marinette was scared and confused, so she hoped he wasn't too rough with her, instead proving himself to be patient and caring.

Marinette shook her head. "I'm fine," she replied. "It's nothing, really. Thank you, Tikki."

"No problem at all," Tikki chirped with a smile. "Would you like to have a bath prepared, or continue sleeping?"

Marinette observed the growing rays of light, blinking away her weariness. She lived in a bakery all her life and had to wake up early almost everyday to help her parents. It was going to be hard to break that habit.

"I can draw the bath by myself," she answered. "Thank you, though."

Tikki nodded. "Alright. Plagg and I will prepare your breakfast while you bathe. Have a relaxing time!"

With those parting words the little creature zipped away and out of her room, not even bothering to open the door. Instead, she flew right through the wood! Marinette couldn't help but not be surprised. With all that has happened to her so far, she doubted anything else could rattle her at this point.

...

Chat Noir remembered the day his immortal life had changed forever.

His longtime friend AntiBug had been in one of her irritated moods, it was honestly nothing new. While she seethed in front of the mirror in her room, glaring at her reflection, Chat lounged comfortably on a cushioned chair with his eyes closed.

"This is ridiculous!" she hissed angrily. "How could they think she's more beautiful than I?!"

"Who, my friend?" the feline god lazily returned, although he had a feeling he knew the answer. He figured he might as well bite and give her the attention she wanted.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she all but growled, spitting the name as though it were the most foul poison. "The mortals are still claiming that she's more beautiful than I am. Me, the goddess of beauty itself! It is an outrage!"

Chat Noir shrugged indifferently. "Why should you care what a few insignificant mortals think?"

"Why should I care?" she repeated, turning around in her vanity stool to glare at him. He held back an annoyed groan.

 _Here we go again._

"I care because my temples are being neglected!" AntiBug fumed. "This mere mortal girl is receiving attention for her beauty that _I_ should be receiving! How could they think her to be more beautiful than a goddess?"

"You have to remember that mortals are often stupid creatures," Chat calmly reassured. "Relax. She'll grow old and soon enough the people will ignore her and favor you again."

"You know I'm not a patient person," she grumbled. "I can't just ignore this treachery and treason! I must..." she paused, her blue eyes taking on a new light. She looked over at her companion who hadn't opened his eyes during the entire ordeal.

Her glossy pink lips curled into a sensual smirk. She pulled down the straps of her dress so that they rested just below her shoulders, letting her breasts become just all that more noticeable. She daintily crossed her legs and lowered her eyelids.

"I must be _distracted_ ," she purred. "Adrikins, would you be so kind as to help me with that?"

Chat finally opened his viridescent eyes, shooting her a sidelong borderline glare, ignoring her provocative pose. How was it she was able to turn any topic into offering sex?

He was also starting to regret giving her his true name.

Chloe, meanwhile, hadn't been deterred by his lack of enthusiasm for her hint. She knew he had never taken a woman to bed, but she was the embodiment of beauty. He had to crack sometime.

She honestly didn't understand his rejections to women. He was the most handsome god of them all, with his hair that rivaled the color of the sun, and eyes that shone like the brightest jewel. His lips were just that perfect amount of full and pink to entice any female, and don't even get her started on the muscles outlined in his black ensemble.

The goddesses practically threw themselves at him, yet he didn't even bat an eye in their direction. She briefly had a theory that he preferred men, but he didn't seem to swing that way, as he never made any advances upon them.

Despite the seemingly impossible chances, she was determined to be the first woman to have sex with him.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't see you that way Chlo," Chat answered, leaving AntiBug to narrow her eyes as she faced yet another rejection.

"Well why not?!" she snapped. "I'm the most beautiful goddess, you're the most handsome god! It only makes sense that we have sex together."

Chat's eyes widened in shock at her revelation. "Are you serious? Wait, forget I said that, I know you are." He sighed. "Chloe, I'm just not interested in you. I'm sorry."

"Are you even capable of showing interest in women?" AntiBug scoffed. "You've never taken on a lover, after all."

Chat's eyes turned into annoyed slits. "Contrary to what you may think, I am. I just haven't found the right woman yet."

He didn't bother to wait for an answer, instead choosing to close his eyes and lean his head back against the arm of the chair. Meanwhile AntiBug resolved to look back at her reflection in her mirror, thinking of what she could do to get revenge on that girl.

She could take away her beauty, but that would be too easy. No, she wanted the girl to truly suffer. Make her regret receiving all that glory and praise that rightfully belonged to the blonde.

Make her suffer for the rest of her life. Make her think that when something was going just right, it would be ripped out of her grasp.

AntiBug darted her icy blue eyes to the blond relaxing in her chair.

She smiled wickedly as an idea sprouted in her mind. She just happened to be friends with the god of destruction and bad luck. How fitting for the type of punishment she had in mind.

"Oh, Adrikins..."

.

.

.

Chat Noir couldn't help but be glad to bring his latest victim a serving of his idea of luck. Once he cursed this Marinette Dupain-Cheng to a life of the most rotten and horrible luck, along with destroying the one thing she loved most, he would never have to listen to another one of AntiBug's rants about her ever again.

His dark clothing blended in perfectly with the night sky. Well, it would if he rendered himself to be visible. Ah, such were the powers of a divine god. The ability to make yourself unseen to humans.

He traveled all the way to the modest bakery that AntiBug had directed him too. Finally, he had reached the top floor, and walked right through the glass doors of her small balcony to go into her room.

He observed the room with his night vision. It was small, with scraps of fabric and sewing needles everywhere, along with the occasional sheet of paper with some sort of clothing drawn onto it. He had to admit this girl was talented.

His eyes flickered to the bed, where it held his feminine target. He crept closer, curious to see who the girl was that could compare to AntiBug's famous beauty.

When he got close enough, he nearly gasped.

Straight, raven hair thrown around the single pillow she rested on. Long, dark eyelashes rested against pale cheeks with just a hint of rosiness to them. Her lips were full and tantalizingly pink, forming the perfect pout that was made to be kissed. Small, almost unnoticeable freckles danced along her button nose.

He swallowed, blatantly staring, before tearing his gaze away from her and shaking his head in denial. He never felt anything for any female mortal or goddess, who there were plenty of with great looks, so why was his heartbeat suddenly quickening? Why was he feeling such a bold attraction to her? And why did he have a desire to see what her eyes may look like?

Would they be a dark brown, almost black and like a void? Or green, like the grass? Or blue, like the sky and oceans?

He suddenly couldn't bring himself to hurt this girl, Marinette. How could he curse this innocent maiden to a life of bad luck and destroy what she loved most?

But AntiBug was adamant about the girl's downfall. And she was his friend...

Marinette suddenly moaned in her sleep, prompting the cat-god to stand extremely still in worry of alerting her of his presence.

He pushed the thought of wanting to hear that noise again into the back of his mind.

She wearily opened her eyes, staring right through him, to the balcony right outside.

His mouth hung open when he saw the beautiful sapphire color of her eyes. Even though they were dulled with fatigue, their beauty still shone. He could only imagine what they looked like when brightened with excitement.

She closed her eyes again and yawned, snuggling deeper into the pillow before resuming her sleep.

He bit his lip in indecisiveness. He couldn't hurt this girl, he just couldn't.

He...

He _liked_ her.

Shit. He _liked_ her. He finally had feelings for a woman, and it was one that AntiBug had a personal vendetta against.

Just his luck.

He scowled and turned away, opting to leave the room and begin to return to his own. He never planned for this to happen, never expected it to happen. He never expected to be attracted to anyone, even though he knew he was capable of loving. He just didn't think it would happen so suddenly.

However, he wouldn't just blindly rush into this. He may be attracted to her beauty, but her personality would be the key.

He closed his eyes and grit his teeth. He was sent to make her life miserable, and comes back practically in love with her?

Just his freaking luck.

Then again, he thought, opening his eyes, it couldn't be so bad. Would it really be that bad, to have a woman he loved and cherished in his arms while she was just as deeply in love with him?

A smile slowly but surely made its way on his face, as each new possibility entered his mind, every one better than the last.

He was going to have to keep an eye on this girl.

.

.

"Adrikins, did you complete my task?"

"Yes," Chat lied smoothly. "She will lead a life of misery and pain."

AntiBug grinned wickedly. "Excellent. And this means she will be lonely too, yes? I want no amount of happiness in her life."

"Don't worry," the embodiment of bad luck assured with a sly smirk and a cunning twinkle in his emerald eyes. "No mortal man shall ever claim her."

...

A few days turned into a week, and then two, until finally a month had passed.

Marinette loved her time in the mansion, finding Tikki and Plagg's company to be fun and enjoyable. It was even better when every night her husband came to her side, as loving and kind as ever.

When they weren't performing any acts of love, they talked to one another, finding out their likes and dislikes and any other personality quirks.

She was intrigued when he admitted to her that he liked physics, and he was just as interested when she expressed her desire to become a professional seamstress. Sometimes they just talked about their pasts, well, what her husband chose to disclose, anyway.

"I remember I used to be acquaintances with an artist," Marinette told. "He was really nice, yet didn't interact with others very much. For some reason, whenever he was around me, he'd get really red in the face and stumble on his words."

She frowned at the memory. Nathanael really was a nice man, and she never treated him unkindly. She didn't understand why he didn't linger long around her.

She became worried when her companion didn't say anything.

"Adrien?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, although his tone had considerably hardened.

She let out a small gasp of surprise when she felt him pull her closer and roughly connect their lips. She blinked, immediately noticing how this was different from his usual kisses. They were always searing and passionate, she could feel the undying love dedicated to each one.

But now as he moved his mouth against hers in such a demanding way, as though seemingly trying to _prove_ something, she couldn't help but lightly push him away.

"Adrien?" she repeated. "What is it? Why are you mad?" His temper had been obvious, even though she couldn't see him. His kiss proved that much.

"I'm not mad," he huffed. He didn't offer anything more before leaning away and lying back down on the bed.

Marinette thought with furrowed brows of what could've possibly set him off. He had been perfectly fine, up until she revealed her acquaintanceship with an old friend.

She paused, eyes widening.

An old friend who was a male...could it be possible that her husband was jealous?

The possibility brought out an amused giggle out from her lips. She heard him shift and ask in an annoyed tone, "what's so funny?"

"Could it be that you are jealous, Adrien?" she inquired, her giggles not letting up.

"Jealous?" he voiced, slowly pronouncing the word on his tongue as though he had never used it before. "I'm not jealous." He continued more quietly, "I don't get jealous. I've never been jealous."

"Alright," Marinette agreed, playing along. She grinned and reached out a hand, using it to find him in the dark. Once she found his toned chest, she guided her hand up until she reached his face. She moved closer to him and leaned down her head, pressing a teasing kiss to his nose.

"There's nothing to be jealous of," she reassured, her amusement dying down until all that was left was a fond smile.

She rested her head against his chest and breathed in his scent, something buttery and otherwise completely foreign. Whatever it was, it smelled heavenly.

"I never liked Nathanael in that way. The only one I've ever loved is you."

She heard his breath hitch.

"Do you mean that?"

"No," she denied, holding back her snickers. "I lied. I actually left a ton of lovers back home, and still can't decide which of them my heart belongs to. Of course there was Nathanael, and Nino, and Ivan, oh, and this older man named Theo-"

He cut her off by flipping them over so that he was hovering above her. She felt his arms caged around her head and couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

"Well then," he murmured ominously, yet she could hear the smirk in his voice. "I guess I should do everything in my power to eliminate them from your mind. So that the only man you can ever think about is _me_."

He leaned down and started to pepper her neck with kisses.

"It will be no easy feat," she managed to breathe, her eyes already closing and her hands going for those thick locks she loved to lose her fingers in. "They were quite skilled in their affection."

"Trust me, _Princess_ -"

She gasped when he bit into her neck.

"By the end of the night you won't even remember your own name."

...

Marinette truly loved her time with Adrien and the kwamis. Tikki and Plagg were always there for whenever she wanted to talk (even though Plagg always acted less-than-enthused) and Adrien was quite perhaps the best husband a girl could ever want.

However, she was starting to get homesick. She missed her family and friends terribly. It didn't make the situation any better to know that they most likely had no clue she was actually alive rather than dead at a monster's hands.

She couldn't take it anymore, and had to plead her case to her husband.

"Adrien?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes?" he replied, curiously.

"I wanted to ask you of something..." She bit her lip, nervous for his answer.

"What is it, Princess?" He sounded concerned.

"Tikki and Plagg are wonderful companions during the day. But I miss my friends and family. Could I have them visit?"

"No," he refused immediately. She flinched at the stinging rejection.

He continued speaking in a softer tone while his knuckles grazed her cheek. "I'm sorry, Marinette. But I cannot allow any visitors here."

"Why not?" she retorted, growing frustrated. Did he not understand that she would most likely miss family and friends when brought here?

"Because they'll turn you against me. I know what's best for you, you must listen to me."

"Maybe I don't want to listen," she spat, crossing her arms and turning over so her back was to him. She knew she was acting childish, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

"Why don't you trust me?" she snapped. "I speak and lay with you despite not knowing your face. I don't know your full name, where you come from, what it is you actually do for a living, or even how old you are. You've asked for a lot of trust from me, it's only fair that it is returned."

The air around them turned into a dead silence. She didn't feel or hear Adrien move, or even breathe. She fumed in the silence, her nails digging into her arms and her sapphire eyes pointed in front of her to where she knew the vanity to be.

At long last, she heard him sigh.

"You're right," he admitted sorrowfully. "I've asked so much trust and faith from you but have hardly given you the same in return."

The ravenette tensed in anticipation.

"I will allow one visitor to be brought here tomorrow."

One person only? She would take the opportunity, the face of her best friend instantly flashing in her mind.

"Alya Lahiffe!" She exclaimed happily, turning over and fumbling in the dark to give her husband a hug. "Please, bring Alya!"

He caught her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"As you command, my Princess," he returned grimly. But she was too overcome with joy to notice his somber mood.

...

Marinette waited outside in the golden sunlight for her best friend to arrive, just as Adrien had promised her she would. Tikki and Plagg took a day off away from the mansion, wanting to leave the two girls to their happy reunion alone.

She gasped and bounced on the tips of her toes when Alya finally arrived, held by a strong wind. The girl was grinning madly from excitement, for it wasn't everyday someone got to get a ride on the wind.

"Oh my gods, Marinette!" Alya screamed when she was safely deposited on the ground. She tried to run, though her large belly prevented her from doing so. So Marinette took over for her, running and hugging her as tightly as she could in her current condition.

"I can't believe you're actually alive!" Alya let out happily, tears gathering in her cheeks. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I'm alive and well, Alya," Marinette promised with a teary smile.

It was at that moment that her friend backed away to stare at the impressive residence. She whistled appreciatively as she took it in, causing Marinette to fidget bashfully.

"Well, you're definitely alive and well, from what I can tell," she marveled, at both the mansion and her friend's new, expensive wardrobe. "Your husband must be very wealthy to be able to afford this. What does he do?"

"He's a sender," she replied, despite knowing that Alya wouldn't like a vague answer. She cringed as she waited for the barrage of questions to start.

"A sender? What kind of-"

"Come on, let's go inside!" The blackette interjected, wrapping an arm around the curious woman's shoulder and ushering her inside. "All this standing can't be good for the baby or your back. Let's sit, and I'll make us some tea."

.

.

After Alya had told of how she got there-

 _"This wind just picked me up, right outside my house! Nino was so surprised he couldn't even move! I was terrified, but was so happy to see where the wind took me."_

-she decided it was time to get down to the important things.

"So tell me about this husband of yours," Alya prodded with a mischievous smirk, taking a sip of her tea afterward. They were sitting in luxurious chairs in the grand sitting room, right across from one another.

"Well," Marinette mumbled, squeezing her teacup in her grip. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" Alya explained with an excited gleam in her eyes. "I want to know all about him. It's part of the best friend rules, to tell each other about your husbands."

Well, Alya fulfilled her part of the deal. Marinette supposed she could give Alya whatever she could in return. She just hoped the girl wouldn't judge her too harshly for have never seen him.

"His name's Adrien," she started. "He's very sweet, and kind. He likes physics and he's a sender."

Did she really know nothing beyond that? She was aware his favorite color was green, and other small things, but the major stuff? Not at all.

"Come on, Marinette, details!" Alya crowed. "What does he look like? Is he tall, dark, and handsome?" she asked slyly, wriggling her eyebrows.

She faltered with her words, not wanting to lie, but she couldn't tell the truth either.

"I-I...um-d-don't know?"

Alya's brows furrowed. "What do you mean you don't know? You've seen him, haven't you?"

"Umm..."

"Oh my gods," Alya breathed in horror, bringing a hand to her mouth. "The Oracle was right."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, a pit of dread settling in her stomach.

"You married a monster!" Alya proclaimed fearfully. "That's why you haven't seen him, he's the monster you were fated to marry!"

"Adrien's not a monster," she protested vehemently. "The Oracle was wrong. He's the sweetest, most loving man I've ever known. He couldn't be a monster."

"It's all an act, don't you see?" she hissed, trying to get her point across as she lowered her teacup to the table in between them. "He's only pretending to care for you, and he's using your innocence against you. When you let your guard down, he's going to kill you! Maybe even eat you."

The young woman shook her head in denial. "No. No, he loves me. I know he does, and I know he's not a monster."

Then why was she slowly becoming afraid of this theory, of it's possible truth?

"Why don't you think he's ever allowed you to see his face?" Alya countered. "It's to cover up how monstrous he looks."

"He _felt_ like a man," Marinette mumbled, blushing as she recalled all those nights filled with passion with Adrien. How he kissed, and nipped, and sucked, and touched in all the right places...

"It's a monster that both gods and mortals fear. You don't think he has the power to disguise himself?" Alya demanded, bringing her out of her lustful thoughts.

She could be a point...no!

No! Adrien was a normal man, not a frightening creature that was feared by all. He always showered her with love, always offered her a listening ear, called her pet names like _Princess_. Surely a monster wouldn't do those things?

"Alya, I-he can't be a monster," she squeaked in disbelief, shaking her head. "He can't be."

She can't have been given this love and then have it all been a farce. The gods wouldn't have allowed it, it was too cruel for an innocent mortal. What could she have possibly done to deserve that?

Alya said nothing, only rising herself out of the seat. She walked out of the room, towards the kitchens. Marinette thought she had gone to get more tea, but was intrigued instead by the single, white candle she held in her hand.

"Light this tonight and you shall see the truth," she coldly ordered. In her other hand she revealed a sharp knife.

"And you will kill that beast with this."

Marinette gaped at the items in her hands. She had to be joking!

"Kill him?!" she exclaimed in shock. "I can't kill him!"

"I refuse to let my best friend die at the hands of a cruel monster," Alya declared boldly. "Marinette, you need to get your head out of the clouds and wake up. I'm sorry if I sound mean, but it's true. All of this," she gestured around with her hand holding the candle, "is simply too good to be true. There has to be a catch, and Adrien is that savage catch."

"But-"

"No buts. Light it, and you'll see how he really looks. I doubt he'll be able to disguise himself while asleep."

...

Marinette had hidden the box of matches and candle under the bed, along with the deadly knife after Alya had left and returned to her house. She made sure to leave specific instructions on what to do.

Now she waited for Adrien to arrive, laying forlornly on her pillow and gazing blankly at her vanity.

It couldn't be true. Adrien couldn't be a monster.

Then why hasn't she been allowed to see his face? Maybe the disguise didn't work for facial features, and so he continuously brought the room into darkness so she couldn't look at him. She didn't forget the weird appendages that grew out of his head, feeling like a second set of ears-animal ears.

Besides, if he was her husband, then she had every right to look at his face. He knew what every inch of her looked like, so why shouldn't she know what every bit of him looked like? It was only fair.

When the room was inevitably plunged into darkness, Marinette closed her eyes and feigned sleep.

She heard Adrien's soft footsteps pad onto the floor, and the rustling of clothing as he presumably took them off. She lay still and evened her breathing when she felt the covers being lifted and him slide into bed.

"Marinette?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

She didn't stir. Inside she was praying to every god and goddess that he wouldn't figure out her trick.

She remained perfectly still when she felt a sigh, then warm lips press themselves against her shoulder.

"Guess you had a busy day. Sleep well, Princess."

Marinette could barely hold back the breath of relief wanting to escape her when he rolled over, away from her, and started to rest.

...

When she made sure he was deep in sleep, when his chest rose and steadily fell, Marinette quietly slipped out of bed and dropped down onto the floor. She retrieved the candle and box of matches, choosing to leave the knife alone. Monster or not, she couldn't bring herself to kill anything.

She lit the match and brought it to the candle. Suddenly a soft glow filled the room, bathing flickering light onto all the furniture. But most importantly, on her husband.

She blew out the match and turned, waiting to see the loathsome and terrible creature that was made of the stuff of nightmares.

What she saw instead made her cover her mouth to muffle the gasp.

He was unbelievably gorgeous, the most handsome man she was ever blessed to see. Golden hair that rivaled the sun itself in color lay in thick piles on his head. She couldn't believe that she had run her fingers through such beautiful locks. The gold was a stark contrast to the cat ears right on top of his head-

Wait.

Cat ears?

He had one leg sticking out of the sheets, allowing her to see a long, black tail as well poking out.

She almost dropped her candle in shock at the revelation.

Adrien, her husband, was Chat Noir. In turn, that made Chat Noir her husband. She, a mere mortal, was the lover of the most powerful god in existence, the only one who could kill another of his kind with his destructive powers.

She observered his smooth yet chiseled and perfect features, going down to see part of his bare and toned chest exposed, down to the muscled calf, and back up again.

She got on the bed and bent over him, intent on having a closer look at such perfection.

The blackette wondered what color his eyes were. Would they be brown like chocolate? Or blue like hers? Or green like the hills?

She leaned down closer, down to those flawless lips she had kissed so many times before, but could only now truly appreciate. They were just the right amount of full, and pink, and she had a desire to cover those lips with her own.

She bent down closer, just enough to brush her mouth against his

 **"OW!"**

Startled eyes that rivaled the greenest gems flew open. Marinette reeled back in astonishment, wildly wondering what had happened. Her eyes flew to the candle in her hand, the candle that was now dripping wax onto the bed sheets.

Adrien, Chat Noir, brought a hand to his shoulder and rubbed the area that had been burned. His eyes were quick to settle on the girl, and he was quick to give her a harsh glare.

Marinette trembled under his piercing gaze. How could she have thought that her loving husband was a monster? How could she allow Alya to infect her mind with such poisonous thoughts?

"I trusted you," he growled, the sound making Marinette shrink back even more. She had never heard him sound so angry. "You were given one rule: to never look upon my face."

"But why?" she sputtered in confusion. "Why? You're so handsome!"

"That's exactly why," he answered coldly. "If I showed you my face, you would've just fallen for my looks and power. I wanted you to truly love me." He looked away from her as his eyes softened in hurt. "I thought you did."

"I do!" she objected fiercely. "I do love you! I just-I had to see if you were a monster."

He scoffed and returned his gaze to her.

"With all that I've done for you, with all that I've said and done _with_ you, you could still think that I was a monster?"

"A-Adrien, I-" she tried, but she was so close to crying that she could barely speak properly. "I-I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," he muttered. "I'm sorry that I allowed myself to believe that I could ever get a stroke of good luck and have a girl that didn't care about what I looked like. I suppose I will forever have to live up to my name as the symbol of bad luck and destruction."

"No, Adrien, please!" Marinette begged, her hands shaking in desperation. "Please, I love you!"

But he only ignored her, rising out of bed and putting his clothes back on. She fought against the bold thoughts in her mind observing just how handsome his _whole body_ looked.

"Good-bye, Princess," he stated, bowing.

"No, Adrien! Chat Noir, please don't go!" she pleaded. Why, oh why, did she listen to her inner doubts? She should've stood by with her gut instinct that told her nothing was wrong!

He moved toward her, and for a moment, she was happy when he took her by the arm. He wasn't going to leave her after all!

He took them outside, where he promptly deposited her on the ground. He didn't speak as he walked to the wall of the house.

"Cataclysm!"

Marinette watched in disbelief as the magnificent mansion that had proudly stood, was in seconds reduced to nothing but a pile of ash on the forest floor.

He shot her one last look over his shoulder before he took off into the sky, leaving a sobbing and regretful Marinette in his wake.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't worry, there will be a third part ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

How could her home, her husband, and her love, just all be gone within a span of a minute?

Marinette sat on the cold forest floor, shivering in the night. She had called out to Adrien, begged him to come back, to no avail. He just left, and it was evident that he wasn't coming back.

"Tikki? Plagg?" she tried, but neither of the kwamis answered her call either. She was truly alone, all alone in this grand forest with nothing but a flimsy nightgown to cover herself.

No home, no food, no clothing, no husband...it was all gone in the blink of an eye. Her world started shifting, and before she knew it, she had emptied the rest of the contents of her stomach.

...

"Oh, Adrikins, I told you that mortals are all vile and distrustful creatures," AntiBug cooed, stroking her friend's golden locks. "You should have never gotten involved with her."

Chat Noir didn't say anything, opting instead to just lay on the plush bed in AntiBug's room. Surprisingly, she was okay with the whole affair that had transpired between himself and Marinette for the past month and a half.

In fact, one might say that she was even _liked_ it.

The goddess was quick to offer him comfort and soothing words, not resisting to slide her fingers through his hair as she encouraged him that there were other women in the world.

He was briefly reminded of Marinette, and how she used to sift her fingers through his hair in the throes of passion. He was quick to dispel those thoughts, forcing himself to think of her betrayal again. The burn mark on his arm had long disappeared, as gods were gifted with fast healing. But nothing could heal the burn on his heart.

"I thought she loved me," he mumbled sadly.

"She never loved you," AntiBug stressed, frowning. "Mortals only care about looks, they could care less about a person's heart. Now do you see why I wanted her to live miserably? I knew she was nothing but a viper."

"Don't talk about her that way," he snapped, temper sparking. "She's still my wife."

"Your wife?!" AntiBug balked. "You never had a marriage ceremony, so she isn't really your wife. Adrien, listen to me, she's a bad woman who doesn't deserve you. Who better to know than another female?"

He turned away, frowning.

"She betrayed you. After all you've done for her she still had to see your face. Cheer up, you'll eventually forget about her."

Chat shook his head. He knew he could never forget about her, but didn't bother to voice his opinion. He just continued to sulk and bask in his friend's comfort and support.

...

Marinette, after days of walking, had finally made it back to her home. Her parents were overjoyed with her return, for Alya had told them of Marinette's predicament. This could only mean one thing!

"Did you kill the terrible beast?" Tom eagerly asked.

"She must have, if she's here," Sabine giggled. "Oh my darling, I'm so proud of you!"

She shrugged her shoulders as though she accomplished the task, yet it wasn't a big deal. She wasn't at all comfortable with sharing the information of who her husband really was. If they knew, they'd probably make her feel worse for her horrible mistake.

"I need to see Alya," Marinette quietly mumbled.

Her parents picked up on her somber mood, but now could link it to their daughter's desire to see her best friend again.

"Of course," Sabine agreed. "We'll have many pastries waiting for you," she promised with a wink. "Would you like an eclair for the trip?"

The blackette nodded, feeling a pang of hunger hit her when she mentioned the food. She took the offered treat and began walking to where her best friend currently lived. People on the streets had stared after her in wonder; they had heard about the Oracle's prediction so they were unsure as to why she was back.

She ignored them all, not breaking her determined stride to Alya's house. Along the way, she grew angrier and angrier.

Why did Alya have to plant that seed of doubt in her mind?

Why did Alya suggest her to use a single candle to see him, why not at least suggest one that had a metal bottom to catch the wax?

Why did Alya have to be so nosy about her husband in the first place. It was none of her business!

This was all her fault, hers!

She finally arrived at the small, modest house and didn't hesitate to bang her fist upon the door. A few seconds passed before she heard footsteps inside, and then Nino opened the door.

"Marinette? You're alive?" he asked, shock written across his face.

"I need to speak with Alya," the blackette growled, pushing past him in search of her. Nino had no clue what was going on, but he was perfectly aware of not to interrupt a woman on a mission.

"Upstairs, in the bedroom," he shakily responded. He returned to his work desk, finishing a song he was working on and staying out of the trouble brewing.

Marinette marched up the steps, to where she knew the master bedroom to be, and threw open the door. Alya jumped in her bed, startled, but a smile lit up her face at the sight of her best friend.

"Marinette! You escaped? How? Did you kill it?"

She frowned when the ravenette ignored her words, and stomped to the bed. Her blue eyes were alit in fury as she looked down at her.

"Marinette?" Alya questioned.

"My husband wasn't an 'it'," she hissed, budding anger lacing her words. "He was not a monster. He was the most loving, considerate, caring man I've ever known and I was lucky enough that he chose me to love. He was Chat Noir!"

Alya's hazel eyes enlarged in astonishment, her breath leaving her lungs in disbelief. "Chat Noir? You mean the god?"

"Yes!" Marinette fumed. "The most powerful god in existence! The only god without some type of scandal surrounding him. The only god ever known to have never taken a lover, until me." She pointed a finger at the pregnant woman. "This is all your fault!"

"B-But Mari," Alya stuttered, feeling horrible because she unknowingly ruined her friend's happiness. She was only worried of her safety, like any friend would be. "I thought-"

"Well you thought wrong!" Marinette shouted, enraged. "I should've never listened to you! I was the luckiest woman in the world to have him. He was everything I could ever dream for in a husband. And you took it all away!"

"M-Mari-"

"Shut up!" The scorned lover commanded. "It's not fair! It's not fair! I-I-"

Her shoulders hunched, hot tears trailed down her red cheeks. Her eyes squeezed shut and she collapsed to her knees in her grief.

"I love him."

The whisper was quiet and utterly broken. It was followed by the sounds of anguished sobbing, noises that only the most wounded animal would make.

Alya's eyes were moist at the heartbreaking noises. How could she suggest to Marinette to betray her husband like that? She had a husband who loved and treasured her, a man that gifted her with anything her heart desired. And it was beyond clear that Marinette loved every bit of him back.

And now that happiness was shattered beyond repair. All because of her.

She reached over the bed and gently prodded Marinette to sit beside her. The crying girl accepted and slipped under the covers, allowing Alya to rest her head atop her own in a comforting embrace.

"I'm so sorry, I really had no idea," Alya explained tearfully. What kind of best friend was she, to reduce Marinette to this former, crushed shell of herself? "I was worried he would hurt you. I'm so sorry, I know I'm a despicable person. I shouldn't have been so nosy, I shouldn't have interfered, I shouldn't-"

"No," Marinette whispered. "No. It's not your fault. I'm sorry for screaming at you, I shouldn't have done that. It is no one's fault but mine. I lit the candle, I accidentally dripped the wax on him. It's all my fault."

She ruefully chuckled. "My good ol' clumsiness struck again."

Alya gave an unlady-like snort and wrapped her arms around the ravenette. "Still, I'm sorry for making you doubt him. I shouldn't have asked so many questions about him."

"It's okay," Marinette insisted. "Anyone would be curious about their friend's husband. If it was the other way around, I would've been dying to know about Nino."

Alya shook her head with a half-grin. "Nah, he'd never hide his face from me. He thinks it's 'too good-looking to conceal'. His words, not mine."

The two girls laughed, with Marinette sniffing and wiping away her tears with her hand.

Until suddenly, the world began to sway again. Only this time, it was accompanied by black spots invading her vision.

"Marinette?" Alya called, feeling her start to sway in her arms. "Mari? Are you alright?"

The girl went limp.

"Nino!" Alya screamed at the top of her lungs in panic. "Run for a doctor!"

"No way! The baby's coming?!" His excited shout sounded from downstairs.

"Not yet, stupid! It's for Marinette. Hurry!"

...

"Miss Marinette? Miss Marinette, can you hear me?"

The girl in question let out a small groan and slowly opened her eyes. She winced at the harsh sunlight in the room, but after a few blinks her vision successfully adjusted to see Nino and Master Fu standing above her. Alya was laying in her bed by her side.

"Don't scare us like that again," Alya scolded, crossing her arms together.

"Yeah, I thought you were dead or something," Nino chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"What happened?" Marinette asked confusedly.

"I'm afraid you have fainted," Master Fu answered calmly, with that serene smile he always wore. "Are you feeling better?"

She pursed her lips distastefully. "A little thirsty, to be honest," she replied.

"I'll get you some water," Nino stated graciously, walking out of the room to complete the task. She didn't even have time to thank him before he left.

"But other than that I'm fine," she finished. "But what do you think caused me to faint?"

"Well, I've observed that there are a few reasons why," Fu murmured, staring critically at her upper body. "There are signs of fatigue and exhaustion on you. This was probably the most rest you've gotten in awhile, I suspect."

She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes flickering to the bedsheets below. She really hoped he didn't ask why she held those signs.

"You should take better care of yourself if you want your child to be healthy."

At this the blackette snapped her head up to look into his eyes, her mouth parted in puzzlement. Alya furrowed her eyebrows in misunderstanding.

"Child? What child?" Marinette questioned, although she had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer.

"The child you carry, in here," Fu answered softly, bringing a hand over her stomach. "They haven't been there for very long, but they still need nourishment and care."

"I-I'm pregnant?" she breathed in amazement.

Alya's eyes almost popped out of her head. Her best friend was pregnant with Chat Noir's child. The most formidable god's baby was growing in her best friend's stomach. It almost seemed surreal.

"Yes," Fu confirmed, smiling. "Take care of yourself, Marinette, for I feel it is a rather special baby." He winked before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

...

"It's been days," Chat Noir announced lowly.

"Yes, it has. I'm glad you are able to tell time," AntiBug tittered sarcastically, flipping her golden ponytail in front of her mirror. She puckered her lips, finding them a bit pale for her liking. As such, she brought out a tube of red lipstick.

"It's been days since I've seen her," he continued. "I've been thinking."

AntiBug craned her head away from her reflection, lipstick poised in midair, to gaze at the pondering handsome god sitting in her chair. His eyebrows were furrowed and a finger was on his chin.

"Thinking about what?" AntiBug asked suspiciously.

"It's been long enough," he answered determinedly. "Marinette was right. I should've revealed myself to her sooner. It's impossible to love a complete stranger."

"But you weren't a complete stranger, you were with her for over a month!" she screeched.

"I'm aware. But I lied to her and told her I was just a man. Love cannot exist where there are lies, Chloe." He turned away and frowned. "Do you think she'll take me back?"

AntiBug's eye twitched. No. No! This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be angry and forsake his love for that wench, and that was when she'd swoop in and replace that foolish mortal!

Good thing she was always prepared.

She discreetly opened a drawer on her vanity, producing a single, blank playing card. Her lips curled upwards as she held it firmly in her fingertips and faced Chat Noir again.

"AntiBug says, sleep!"

Chat only had time to turn and look with wide eyes at the white projectile heading straight for him. It hit him squarely in the chest, causing the feline god to immediately collapse in a deep slumber.

AntiBug snickered and turned back to admire her reflection. She knew stealing one of Jackady's cards would pay off one day.

She knew he wouldn't sleep forever, but he would just long enough so that she could successfully convince him when he woke that Marinette had moved on from him. His heart would be broken, yes, but who better to repair it than herself?

Little did she know that the card's impact was gradually being destroyed at that very minute, so the effect wouldn't last as long compared to other gods.

...

"No one must know about this," Marinette shakily whispered to Alya. "No one."

"But why? You carry the child of a god!"

"I don't want any of the attention. Besides, I'm not technically married to Chat Noir. The child is a bastard," she solemnly explained. She covered her face with her hands.

"He hates me and now he's going to be permanently connected to me through this baby," she mumbled sorrowfully. "What have I done?"

"Um, didn't he have a hand in this?" Alya teased.

"Alya," Marinette growled through clenched teeth, removing her hands from her face to give her a hard look.

"And don't you think you're being hard on yourself? I mean, with all that you've told me, I highly doubt he hates you. Sure, he may be mad, but I don't think he hates you."

"He _left_ me," Marinette stressed, her frustration growing. "I betrayed his trust. He has no reason to still love me."

"Then go out there and give him a reason!" Alya encouraged, grinning madly. "Go out and win him back. Prove to him that you're sorry for what you did and you'll do anything to gain his forgiveness."

Marinette's eyebrows creased. "Do you think it will work?"

"I know it will," she replied instantly. "He may be the god of destruction, but I haven't heard of him holding grudges for long. It's also been days since that night, I'm sure he's given it a lot of thought."

The seamstress nodded pensively. "You know what?" She looked into Alya's eyes with resolve in their blue depths. "I will do just that. But where do I start?"

"AntiBug is supposedly his best friend, and also the goddess of beauty, the same goddess people compared you to. I would go to one of her temples and pray, that way you can apologize for the people's slight on her and for yours on Chat Noir," she informed wisely.

Her best friend nodded. "You're right. I'll try at the closest temple for her. Thank you so much for your help."

"It's the least I can do after ruining everything," she mumbled, casting her eyes away from her. The guilt was still plaguing her heart.

"You didn't ruin everything, _I_ did," Marinette reminded sternly, tacking on a half-smile at the end. "And now it's up to me to fix it."

...

Alya and Nino had made sure to supply Marinette with enough food and water to survive the long journey. Though Nino had no idea where his wife's friend was leaving to, he wished her luck all the same.

Marinette and Alya had both agreed to not reveal where Marinette was going, and why. It would crush her parents if they knew of her predicament.

And so, by the end of the day, the ravenette started her journey. She walked for two days, only stopping to eat and rest. Along her travels she whispered prayers to the gods, wishing for the safety for herself and for the growing child she carried. She didn't encounter any bandits or wild animals, so she assumed her prayers were granted.

When at long last she reached the temple, Marinette let out a long sigh of relief. Her food and water were beginning to dwindle, she probably wouldn't have lasted past two more days.

When she walked inside, she found it to be void of any people, and it looked to be that way for some time. Dust littered the place, along with wilted flowers and rotten food. It was obvious no one made an offering to the goddess in quite some time.

No god or goddess deserved this kind of treatment to their temple. And so, Marinette began to work on cleaning the place. She cleared the dust as best she could, and removed the rotted food and flowers. She stepped outside and picked fresh ones, then returned and placed them under the statue of AntiBug.

She knelt down in front of the statue's feet.

"Please, dear goddess, hear my prayer..."

...

AntiBug smirked wickedly as she observed the pathetic girl. She had to admit she was sort of useful, if her clean-up job of the temple was to show for anything.

She was now prattling on about her 'love' for Chat Noir, and how she was sorry that the people had dared to compare her beauty to that of a goddess. This only caused AntiBug to scoff in amusement.

"Hear that, Adrikins? She _loves_ you!"

But the blond god said nothing, still trapped in his dreams. He lay peacefully in her bed, eyes closed and the corners of his mouth were turned down in a slight frown.

"Oh, I forgot, you can't speak just yet. Well," she sighed, "I might as well go down and make my grand appearance. I won't be too long." She walked over to press a kiss to the sleeping god's lips before she departed for the mortal world.

...

By the end of her prayer tears were starting return to the blackette's eyes. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand, knowing that she couldn't appear like a pathetic, blubbering food in front of AntiBug.

"So, you decide to finally show your face," she heard a mocking voice say. "And what a face it is, I don't see why he and the rest of the mortals like it so much."

In a flash of blinding yellow light appeared a slender woman wearing a black dress with red polka dots scattered all over the fabric. Her hair was up in a high ponytail with the curled ends touching the nape of her neck. Her body was perfect, Marinette could see curves that men would trip themselves over.

And then there was her face. Full, pouty lips curled into a vicious smirk. Long, black eyelashes that framed ice blue eyes and perfectly tanned skin. There was no doubt that this woman was the goddess of beauty herself.

Marinette, still kneeling, lowered her head to the ground in a sign of respect. "A-AntiBug..." she stammered.

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm perfect," AntiBug dismissed, waving a hand. "Now get your disgusting head off my temple floor."

Marinette tried not to let the comment affect her too much as she slowly rose into a stance.

"That's better. Now, how dare you hurt my Adrikins! All he wanted was the purest love and you practically spat on him. Look."

Marinette frowned when AntiBug produced a red-tinted bubble, showing the image of her husband sleeping in a bed somewhere unknown. With a flick of her wrist, the goddess willed the image away.

"He's so heartbroken that all he can is sleep," she chastised. "I don't know if he'll ever be the same again."

"I-I'm sorry," the girl stuttered, guilt hitting her heart like a sack of flour in her parents' bakery. "I didn't mean to-"

"Liar!" The blonde hissed. "You mortals are all conniving creatures, so don't believe for a second that I think you're really sorry."

"I love him!" Marinette shouted, angry tears filling her eyes. She tried to not let the words pierce her heart but the goddess's tongue was proving to be a formidable foe. "Please, please help me get him back! I'm sorry for what I did, I've learned my lesson. Please, at least let me talk-"

"You're not worthy of speaking to the all-powerful Chat Noir," AntiBug sneered. "All you were was an experimentory tryst. Nothing more. He wants a goddess, not an insignificant, fragile mortal."

Marinette felt her temper snap.

"That's not what he told me in the bedroom," she muttered darkly.

 _ **SMACK!**_

While the ravenette held her cheek with narrowed eyes, AntiBug looked about ready to burn her alive with her own glare.

"You dare speak to a goddess in that way? I was thinking of granting you some pity, but now I see that you're not worthy of it."

Marinette's anger melted away to be replaced by fear. How could she let her anger take over her mind? She should've thought before she spoke, because now she may never get to talk to Chat Noir again.

"No! Please, I'm sorry, you're right. It was an incredible offense to Your Greatness. I'm not as perfect as you are."

AntiBug crossed her arms and huffed, though a grin was playing upon her lips. "Well, that's most certainly true," she murmured.

She sighed. "Very well. I'll just see if you can prove yourself worthy of Chat Noir. It will be an amusing sight to see," she giggled. "Look down at your feet."

Marinette did as she was told, to find a large pile of seeds.

"Separate those seeds into piles of whatever plant they are. If you accomplish this, you will move on to the next task. If not, you will never have a chance with Chat Noir again. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded strongly, despite her worry inside. "Yes."

AntiBug smiled, yet there was no amount of kindness in it. "Alright. I'll be back in two hours. Good luck!"

With that she vanished into a bright yellow light. Marinette sat down in front of the pile, eyeing it with a frown on her lips. She was a baker and a seamstress, not a gardener or farmer. She had no clue which seeds were which. It didn't help that a lot of them looked very similar to each other.

"There's no way I can figure this out," Marinette sighed dejectedly. She'll never get to be with Adrien again, and all because of a pile of seeds.

Suddenly, in the corner of her eyes, Marinette spotted a long trail of ladybugs crawling to her. A bitter chuckle escaped past her lips.

"I know you guys are supposed to be lucky, but no amount of luck in the world can help me now."

The bugs ignored her statement, crawling straight to the pile of seeds. Just as Marinette was about to try to veer them away, the bugs starting picking them up and...sorting them?

Blue eyes blinked in wonder as the ladybugs picked up the seeds, threw them on their backs, and deposited them into tiny piles. Were these bugs really helping her?

 _Rest!_ A voice advised. _Rest before she comes back!_

"T-Tikki?!" Marinette gasped in bewilderment, having recognized the voice. She angled her head around, trying to find the little kwami, but there was no sign of her.

 _Rest, Marinette. You need it. My ladybugs will take care of the seeds._

She couldn't resist the urge for sleep, and so laid down on the stone floor and slept.

...

"What is this?!"

Marinette awoke to the jarring voice, her body snapping up and fully alert. She immediately locked eyes with AntiBug's freezing blue ones, who looked just about ready to freeze the mortal herself.

"How did you do this? Did you have help?" AntiBug snapped. "There is no way you could've accomplished this without help."

The blackette faltered in her answer, not knowing whether she should tell the truth or lie. Lying to a god or goddess could have severe consequences. And lying to a goddess that already can't stand you? She'd be instantly dead.

"I knew it," she hissed. "Fine, cheater. I have a task for you that I know no one can help you with."

Marinette shuddered, eyes slightly wider in growing nervousness.

AntiBug examined her flawless nails as she spoke. "There is a beast that lives on the other side of the Seine. She is Horrificator, do you know of her?"

The blue-eyed girl swallowed. Yes, everyone knew of the man-eating monster.

She grinned. "Good. I want you to get me some of the goo that comes off of her. It has beautifying qualities for a goddess like me."

Marinette blinked in astonishment. How could she get goo from a man-eating monster and _not_ get eaten?!

"Good luck," the blonde simpered before disappearing again.

Marinette sighed and picked up her bag. She better come up with a plan before she arrived at the Seine, otherwise she'd be Horrificator-lunch.

...

Marinette had run out of food by the time she made it to the infamous river. She was tired, and most of all, hungry. And with the recent cramps she has been getting and morning sickness, she felt close to death.

Nevertheless she made it, but she still had no plan of how she was going to get the goo.

At the river she was able to spot a beastly creature of dark pink, and hurriedly hid behind a bush before the creature should see her. She heard it make a few guttural sounds before it stomped away.

With a tired grimace she crawled out of her hiding place to stand before the river's edge.

There was no hope for her to get that goo, not without making it back alive to tell the tale. She had the wrath of AntiBug on her hands, her husband was still furious and refused to see her, and she carried a growing baby from the same husband that had forsaken her.

She glanced down into the cool, blue water. The cool, blue, _deep_ water.

All she would have to do is step in and never come out. And then this mess would be over.

 _No, Marinette, you mustn't!_ A voice she had never heard before cried out. _Do not give up. This is hardly the end._

Despite hearing the strange voice, all Marinette did was laugh.

"I'd say it is. I'm tired, hungry, and have to collect goo from a man-eating beast. Not to mention at least two gods hate me. Yes, I'd say this is the end."

 _You must live, Marinette. Do not give up. If you die, Chat Noir will let the world know his fury._

"He hates me."

 _The Horrificator leaves goo behind wherever she walks. There is a bridge off to your right. Use it, and collect the goo for AntiBug._

"But-"

 _Good luck._

She huffed irritably. Why did these-kwamis?-want her to succeed so badly? She knew her husband, enough to know he wasn't vengeful. She highly doubted he'd destroy everything in his path should she perish. She wasn't all that important.

But she couldn't ignore that ray of hope in her heart that believed they could be together again, together and happy.

With a grunt, she rose and walked to where she was told the bridge to be.

...

"How?!"

Marinette flinched under AntiBug's screech.

"How is this possible? Did you have help again?" she snapped, completely incensed.

"I-"

"You're nothing but a dirty cheater," the blonde accused, growling and pointing at the poor mortal. "Chat Noir wants nothing to do with cheaters."

"But-!"

"Silence!" she commanded. "I'm giving you one more task, one I absolutely know you cannot accomplish on your own. I want you to go to the Underworld, and get me a box of Celine's beauty."

Marinette's mouth dropped. "What?! Go to the-"

"Yes, the Underworld, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"But I have to be dead to go there!"

AntiBug shrugged and grinned. "I certainly wouldn't miss you."

"B-But, how-?"

"Better figure something out. Good luck," she tittered sarcastically, even adding a wave of her fingertips for good measure, before disappearing again.

Marinette groaned and buried her head in her hands. How was she going to complete this task?

* * *

 **A/N: Part 4 will be the last :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Marinette sat on the steps outside of AntiBug's temple, trying to think of a way to get into the Underworld without dying. If she accomplished this task, then she'd finally be able to talk with Chat Noir and hopefully get him to forgive her.

She groaned and bit her lip. How could she get down to the Underworld? Well, she guessed AntiBug was right. There was no way she could accomplish this on her own.

 _Now I know you aren't giving up now,_ a voice giggled. Could this be another kwami?

"Who's there?" Marinette demanded, looking around but, as usual, couldn't find anything.

 _My name is Trixx, and oh boy do I have some tricks in mind. That blonde wench doesn't deserve sweet Adrien._

Marinette's mouth dropped and she wildly looked around for an enraged AntiBug, though thankfully there was none to be found. She couldn't believe this Trixx had the courage to say such things about the goddess.

 _Don't worry, she can't do a thing to me,_ Trixx assured, giggling. _Now, listen to me very carefully, for your survival depends on it._

"And if I die...?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. She wanted to know if the other kwami from the Seine was being truthful.

Trixx's voice suddenly turned solemn. _Then the world would follow in your footsteps._

She shivered at the prospect of the entire world reduced to nothing but ash at her husband's hands. It was hard to believe he'd be so furious if something happened to her.

 _I'm going to lead you to the entrance to the Underworld. Once there, I will briefly lend you my abilities so you can make the trek to see Celine. I am the master of illusions, you know._

The master of illusions?

 _Come, this way!_

Marinette's eyebrows drew down as she looked around. She couldn't see Trixx, so what way did she mean to go?

 _This way!_

And suddenly, Marinette felt her hand being tugged by an invisible force. Ignoring the strangeness of the whole situation, she allowed herself to stand and be guided by the unseen kwami.

Trixx ended up pulling Marinette along for a few hours. They had to stop so the ravenette could eat berries they happened to pass along the way, or when the girl had to pause to throw up. She honestly wasn't sure if and when she was reunited with Chat Noir, whether she'd punch him for making her endure this journey with new pregnancy sickness or throw her arms around him, beg for forgiveness, and proceed to kiss every inch of his face.

She would probably be better off with the second option.

At long last, when Marinette was sure she couldn't take another step, the force on her hand stopped when she was facing a cave.

 _The way to the Underworld is through here. Take this with you._

She gasped in wonder when her palm suddenly started glowing, and in seconds a small, orange flute materialized. Confused, she held it closer to her eyes to inspect it.

 _Play this, and any illusion you think of will appear. Use it to aid you through the Underworld. Good luck!_

"Wait! Trixx! How do I-?" Marinette tried, but had a sinking feeling that the invisible kwami was gone.

She growled in frustration, holding the flute tight in her fist. How was she supposed to play this thing? She had no musical experience whatsoever! And what did she mean by 'any illusion you think of will appear'? Did that mean that if she imagined a cookie while playing the flute, she'd in turn receive a cookie out of thin air?

To test her theory, the girl raised the flute to her lips. What came out of the magical instrument could only be described as a melody that derived straight from the heavens, for there had never truly been a sound so wonderful.

She could gather that due to the flute's magical properties, it must sound like that for whoever plays it, regardless of their experience in music.

Suddenly, a peanut-butter cookie appeared in the air in front of her. She blinked in surprise at the floating treat, how it looked simply delicious and perfect. With shaky fingers, she reached for the item, only for it to vanish in a cloud of orange smoke when she touched it.

A perfect illusion. But how exactly would it help her?

She cast an uneasy glance to the cave, the entrance that would lead her to the Underworld where she would have to get a box of Celine's beauty.

With one step, Marinette began the last part of her journey.

She had heard the story of Celine growing up, there was no one that didn't know the tale. She was the beautiful, sweet, innocent goddess of Spring who spent her days tending to Earth's flowers and other plants. Hawk Moth, the ruler of the Underworld and god of the dead, saw her and took her for his own.

Without Celine, the Earth's crops fell into ruin. Many starved without the goddess's help as food became more scarce.

She pleaded her case to Hawk Moth, begging him to let her go back and fix what she had left behind. He relented but forced her to eat six pomegranite seeds, six seeds that would bind her to the Underworld for six months out of the year, while she could help the world grow for the other six.

There were stories that they eventually had a child, a boy, but no one could be too certain.

The blackette frowned as she delved deeper into the dark cave, eventually finding that her path had begun to head downward.

She wondered if Celine was happy with Hawk Moth. Yes, she was kidnapped, but perhaps a love blossomed between the two? The Queen of the Underworld was always said to be kind, so Marinette couldn't help but hope that her immortal life was a happy one.

After who knows how long of walking, the mortal came across a new opening, and with it finally came a dim light. As she walked through, she couldn't pinpoint exactly where the light came from, but her eyes were happy to have it nonetheless.

She smiled and lightly swung her flute back and forth in the air. She pictured the Underworld to be scary, but things were relatively calm so far. Maybe this would be easy.

She thought that, until a loud growl pierced the air.

Marinette looked to her left, gasping when she spied the giant stone-like creature that was previously hidden by the shadows. His eyes glowed yellow as he observed her, the crack in the stone thats served as his mouth was frowning.

Stoneheart, loyal guardian of the Underworld, the one who made sure that trespassers couldn't get through.

The creature growled and took another step toward her, prompting her to take a step backward.

Her sky blue eyes narrowed. She was so close to reuniting with Chat Noir; she wasn't going to let this stone behemoth stop her.

Raising the flute to her lips, she closed her eyes and played.

When she opened them, she was happy to discover a plate of warm-looking fresh biscuits floating in the air just slightly out of reach of Stoneheart. The creature stilled, tilting his large head at the plate of treats.

Marinette bit her lower lip and quietly tip-toed away from him before he could discover that it was an illusion. She was almost out of his sight when she heard a deafening roar of anger. Whipping her head around, she found Stoneheart clenching a fist of empty air.

Enraged eyes pierced through her. The girl didn't waste any more time and started running, though mindful to keep a hand pressed to her stomach in an attempt to keep the baby safe, even if it wasn't a whole baby yet. She didn't want to take any chances of hurting them, but in this case she had to run to escape Stoneheart.

She kept going until she spotted a set of large, double wooden doors. Seeing the opportunity, she pushed herself to go faster and launched herself at the doors, quickly getting inside the room and slamming them shut. Off to the side, she found a single plank of wood and used it to seal the doors shut. Stoneheart's yells of rage could still be heard.

"What have we here?"

Marinette swivelled around at the new voice, her eyes widening as she took in the silver-masked man seated atop the impressive throne. He wore a purple and black outfit fit for a king, in his hands he clutched a purple walking stick. His eyes were a watery blue, cold as they gazed at her. One side of his lips were quirked up into a grin, although it didn't look too inviting or friendly.

She gulped, knowing she was already doomed for bursting into Hawk Moth's throne room like this.

"A girl that is still alive? How unusual," he mused, bringing a black-gloved hand to rub his chin. His once cold eyes turned freezing as they narrowed at her. "Only the dead are permitted here."

She swallowed and held her head up, not wanting to appear as a fearful fool in front of this great god.

"I-I'm Marinette, Your Excellency. AntiBug has sent me here to retrieve something from Queen Celine." She may have stuttered once in the beginning, but by the end her words came out strong and determined.

Hawk Moth noticed, judging by how his eyes briefly widened before they settled back into their neutral glare.

"Something from my wife? What is it?"

He already didn't like AntiBug, finding her to be a vain, petty, _insipid_ goddess who only cared about herself and no one else. He had a job and ruled over the dead, wheareas she spent her time gazing in her mirror and finding young, handsome mortal men's beds. And now she wanted something from his wife?

But why send this girl down here for it? Why not just come down here herself?

She was probably worried the lack of sunlight would cause her skin to pale or something.

"It's a box of her beauty," Marinette answered, less confidant this time now saying what she needed out loud. She hadn't thought of it before, but how could anyone just put their beauty in a box?

Well, Celine was a goddess, so she supposed that anything was possible.

Hawk Moth raised an eyebrow beneath the mask. A box of beauty? He'd never heard of such a thing. He could understand why AntiBug would want it, since he was confident his wife was the most beautiful creature that had ever existed, but he had never heard of a request like this. Was he really that out of touch with the world?

He turned his head to the side, in the direction toward their bedchambers.

"Celine, my darling. There's someone to see you."

Marinette's lips turned up in a small, happy smile. He called her 'darling', so that must mean he holds some true affection for her, right?

But her mouth parted in awe when she saw a woman emerge from the opening to the side, smiling and heading straight for her husband.

She was the most stunning woman that Marinette had ever seen. She had long, flowing hair ending mid-back, resembling a golden waterfall. It was so thick, wavy, and shiny...she had never seen more beautiful hair in her life. It made even AntiBug's golden locks seem pale in comparison.

Her eyes were like the greenest, brightest jewels. They held both kindness and intelligence in their depths. Her lips were full, pink, and were in a perfect bow shape. Any man would be tempted to touch them with his own lips.

She was tall, and slender, dressed in the finest clothes befit for royalty. On the top of her head rested a golden, delicate crown encrusted with the most rare jewels of the world.

This, was Celine, goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld.

"Yes, my love? What is it?" she asked, her voice warm and smooth. While her voice may have been a perfect melody, wonderful for simply hearing and falling peacefully asleep to, there was also a hint of strength to it. There was no doubt that this woman could talk like a stern, but fair Queen.

"This mortal girl requests something from you, a box of your beauty." Hawk Moth gestured to Marinette, who only looked away in shame. She felt unfit to even be in this gorgeous woman's presence, much less look at her.

Celine shifted her eyes away from her husband to gaze at the girl in the throne room, her head tilted in question. A box of her beauty? Who ever heard of such a thing?

"She claims that AntiBug has sent her," her husband explained.

Ah, that made more sense.

A smile graced the lovely goddess's lips. "Come with me, my child. I will get you what you have been sent for."

Marinette lifted her head to look wildly in disbelief at her, wondering how in Earth she accepted to fulfill her request with no pleading whatsoever. In a daze she followed behind the goddess, going straight to her bedchambers.

She looked around the room in awe of the lavish furniture. Everything looked to be made of gold, there was enough for over one hundred men to be rich for the rest of their lives!

Celine, still smiling with no warmth Marinette had ever witnessed before, gestured her to sit at the vanity. She tried refusing, saying how she was unworthy of touching anything in the room, but the Queen simply grinned in amusement and insisted she follow the order.

Unsure, Marinette relented and sat down in the plush, golden chair. Celine picked up a hairbrush and began brushing the blackette's hair, much to her shock and confusion.

"U-Um, Your Maj-"

"Tell me, what is your name, my child?" she asked sweetly, bringing the brush through the black locks. Where there was once dirt and grease, was now a new, clean shine.

She didn't know why she'd want a worthless mortal's name, but she indulged her nonetheless. "I-I'm Marinette, Your Majesty."

She hummed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Marinette. Call me Celine. Now, can you tell me exactly why AntiBug has sent you for a box of my beauty?"

Her fingers gently held some of the hair that the brush went through, helping to style it.

Marinette bit her lip, worried about her reaction to the truth.

"You can tell me," Celine warmly reassured. "I will not be mad, but only if you tell me the whole truth."

And so, Marinette began her strange tale. Starting from how the Oracle predicted that she would be wed to a monster of destruction, to living in a giant palace constructed by said 'monster', to discovering that her husband was in fact no monster, but a gentle, kind man named Adrien who claimed to be in love with her and spent every night with her, to the reveal that 'Adrien' was in fact the god of destruction Chat Noir, and then to her trials with AntiBug.

Celine listened to every word, nodding and humming every so often as she continued to brush the now voluminous, gorgeous black locks.

The goddess wondered why Chat Noir never made an appearance to his wife since the reveal. If he loved her as much as he supposedly did, then why not come back to her? Seeing his face didn't warrant a punishment such as this. He was always kind and never held grudges for too long, could he really be that upset over this?

If he was, would all of Marinette's efforts to win him back even be worth anything?

Still, she couldn't crush her hopes and send her back with nothing. She replaced the brush on the vanity and looked at the girl in the mirror, offering her a smile.

"That is quite the tale, Marinette. But if Chat Noir abandoned you, why even go through all this trouble when having him back is not even a guarantee?"

"I love him, Celine," she replied, never hesitating and confident with her answer. "I betrayed his trust and I'm willing to do anything if it will give me the chance to see him and apologize."

She nodded, satisfied with her answer but she still pitied her for having to go through all this trouble.

"Let me get the box for you," she murmured before leaving the ravenette's side. She walked to a nightstand, pulled out a drawer, and grabbed a box. Marinette couldn't see what she did, and was honestly worried the goddess would come back out as a hideous hag, but her beauty was still the same even after she presented the small, sealed box to her.

"Here it is, a box of my beauty. Do not look inside it, do you understand?"

Marinette wordlessly nodded, taking the box that fit in the palm of your hand.

"You may leave whenever you wish. I will make sure Stoneheart is taken care of when you do."

She graciously bowed her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Good luck on reuniting with Chat Noir. I'm sure he'll be very happy to see you." Celine knew something was wrong, she knew the god would never abandon anyone he loved. Something was definitely off.

"I hope so," the ravenette mumbled, blue eyes flickering to her still-flat stomach in worry.

Celine's eyes enlarged when she realized it.

Marinette was pregnant.

She smiled, her eyes starting to water. A baby! Chat was going to be a father! Her-

"Um, Celine? Are you alright?" Marinette's wary voice broke off her joyous thoughts.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine!" she sniffed, blinking to keep the tears at bay. "Go now, and give AntiBug the box and be with Chat Noir again."

Marinette bowed her head and hurriedly left the room, leaving the Queen crying and internally squealing, although a few squeals may have escaped her throat.

She was going to be a grandmother, and her son couldn't have picked a more devoted and lovely wife. Her kind and ambitious nature was obvious, not only to her but apparently to the legendary kwamis as well, if her having the flute of Trixx was to say anything.

But heaven help her, if her son didn't get his butt in gear and reunite with this woman, then she'd ascend to the surface and slap some sense into him!

...

While Marinette walked back to the temple, Plagg had his work cut out for him. When AntiBug had wandered off to bathe, the kwami flew to the sleeping god.

"Come on, kid! Wake up!" he hissed, grabbing some of Chat's blond hair and yanking it. "Wake up!"

But he still remained as motionless as ever, his breath coming out in even pants.

"Adrien! Wake. Up!" He tried slapping his face, but it still didn't work.

"Adrien! Don't make me get the camembert!"

Still nothing.

Plagg smirked wickedly. "Alright, if that's how it has to be." He flew away and came back in seconds with a wedge of his favorite, smelly, runny cheese. Grinning in anticipation, he wiggled it under the blond's nose.

His glee disappeared when he didn't even twitch.

Plagg swallowed the wedge whole, afterwards narrowing his eyes on the sleeping god. What would it take to wake him up? He must have been under some powerful spell, if his destructive powers didn't destroy it yet.

His small fangs bit into his lower lip. Marinette was on her way back to see AntiBug, he didn't have long for Adrien to wake up. Who knows how she would react after finding out that the mortal had accomplished the final task?

"Adrien, please, wake up," the kwami begged, tugging his hair in vain. "You have to wake up _now_! I know you're one for the dramatics, but you're really cutting it close."

He sighed, pondering of a solution. When at last, it hit him.

This whole mess was started by Adrien falling in love with Marinette. What better way to rouse him than him having her think she was in danger? If that wouldn't wake him, nothing would.

Plagg cleared his throat before screaming in a feminine, Marinette-like voice, "Adrien! Adrien, help me!"

His green eyes peered over to the blond, who hadn't moved.

He tried again. "Adrien! I need you! She's going to kill me. Please, help me!"

Plagg smirked victoriously when he saw the god's eyebrows furrow. This may have been incredibly embarrassing, but right now this was the only chance he had of waking him up.

"I love you, Adrien! Please, don't leave. She's going to kill me if you do."

A groan rumbled out of Chat's throat, his head moved slightly to the side.

And now for the finale. Plagg screamed so loud, in such a horrified, pained way, that Adrien sat up in bed, green eyes darting around in a frenzy with a fist raised and cataclysm at the ready. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were set into a fierce glare, promising death to anyone who would ever hurt his wife.

He willed it away when he saw Plagg. His eyes softened in confusion when he was in AntiBug's room, and Marinette was nowhere in sight.

"Plagg? What's going on? Where's Marinette?" he asked in rapid succession, prompting the kwami to roll his eyes.

"AntiBug put you under a sleeping spell courtesy of a Jackady card. Marinette's alright, but she may not be for long," he informed seriously.

Chat Noir glared at him, yet Plagg knew the anger wasn't directed at himself. "Why not?"

"Long story short, AntiBug made Marinette do all these tasks, promising that she'd allow her to see you if she completed them. She's on her way back to AntiBug's temple right now, but I don't know how she'll react when she finds out Marinette was successful again."

Chat clenched his teeth, eyes burning in rage. It was one thing to mess with him, but to antagonize his wife? AntiBug was practically begging for his fatal power to touch her.

"I have to find her," he declared, jumping out of the bed. For a moment the world spun and he had to hold his head until the tilting stopped. He shook his head and continued out of the room.

"Hurry up!" Plagg called after him.

...

The flute had disappeared from Marinette's hands when she first stepped out of the Underworld, and now she was almost back to the temple. Soon she would be facing Chat Noir, and finally have her chance to beg for his forgiveness. Hopefully, for her baby's sake, he'd forgive her and take her back.

She stopped to admire the little white box in her hands. How did this thing hold Celine's beauty? She had no idea how beauty itself could be contained in anything other than nature.

She frowned, remembering how she must probably look like a mess. Her nails were dirty and chipped, her face had smudges of dirt, her dress was patterned with dirt stains and small rips, and her lips were chapped and dry. She didn't even want to imagine how she smelled.

The blackette hung her head in embarrassment and shame. He would never want her back in the state she's in. He'd take one look at her and turn his back to her, vowing to never see her again.

She tilted her head as she observed the box. AntiBug was the goddess of beauty, surely she had enough. What would taking just a bit of it do? She would only take enough so that Chat Noir would be happy with her appearance. She wouldn't be greedy and take it all, just a little bit.

Her fingers edged closer to the lid, when she remembered Celine's words of caution to not look inside.

She faltered.

It was a common rule to _always_ take heed of a god or goddess's advice no matter what. Those who didn't suffered in one way or the other. She didn't want to end up like them.

Besides, she loved Chat when he was just a figure in the dark. She loved him when he had no face, and if he truly loved her as he said he did, then he'd still love her even when she was ugly.

She closed the box in her fist and continued on her way, new determination in her strides.

"Marinette!"

Startled, the girl glanced up only to open her mouth in surprise.

Chat Noir floated down in front of her. His mouth was in a worried frown and his eyes expressed the same emotion. He was in his full-black ensemble, kitten ears flat on his head and his tail twitching behind him.

"Marinette, thank gods you're alright," he breathed. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen."

Huh? She shook her head in refusal, eyes tearing as she finally beheld him in her sights again. Honestly, she had a tiny doubt that AntiBug had lied to her and that she would never be able to see him again. But here he was, right in front of her, and apologizing?

"You don't anything to apologize for. I'm the one who betrayed your trust, I don't blame you for leaving me."

"That's no excuse for leaving you as I did," he retorted, almost angrily. "I was mad at the time, but I've long forgiven you for that. I understand why you did it, I understand that no one can truly love a stranger. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? You're in no obligation to, but..."

Her eyes grew wide when he dropped down to his knees.

"I'm begging you, Marinette. Please, forgive me. Despite what you may think, I still love you, as much so if not more than when we were at the mansion."

She blinked in utter shock. The most powerful god, on his knees, begging for forgiveness from a mere mortal. Anyone who passed by would pass out in pure astonishment if they happened to see.

Not to mention his declaration of love, in spite of her looking like an utter mess. Still, no matter how much she appreciated hearing it, he shouldn't have to apologize.

"B-But Chat, _I_ betrayed _you_! You didn't do anything. I'm the one who should be begging for your forgiveness, not the other way around."

"No," he insisted stubbornly. "You don't have to apologize. I do, I'm the one who left you."

"You had every reason to!"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No."

"Yes!"

They continued back and forth for another few seconds, until they realized they were acting like immature children. Their tears of pain turned into tears of mirth as they laughed.

Having sufficiently calmed down enough, Chat took her hands in his own and planted a soft, loving kiss on the knuckles.

"Let's just agree that it was both our faults and forgive each other, okay?"

She grinned, still amused, yet nodded. "Alright, agreed."

He stood, and after faltering for a second, enveloped her cheeks with his hands. His thumbs traced tiny circles around the skin as his hypnotizing green eyes bore into her own. He tilted his head, his eyes silently questioning for permission for what he so obviously wanted to do. Marinette smiled and nodded before closing her eyes.

This kiss was unlike any of the others that she had received from the god. It felt...wholesome. She wasn't kissing a stranger in the dark, who would have to depart at the first sign of sunrise. She wasn't kissing a man whom she didn't know a lot about aside from some personal details.

She finally knew exactly who she was sharing her affection with, and the realization caused a happy feeling to bubble in her stomach. In her elation, she pressed closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, finally able to feel those soft tresses of hair again.

She didn't even notice the box fall from her hands.

Adrien barely allowed her a moment to breathe before he was attacking her lips again, with new fervor as his hands moved to her hips to pull her impossibly closer. Marinette let out a soft sigh, of both pleasure and relief.

"I've missed you so much," he groaned against her lips before reconnecting them.

For a second her heart fluttered at the declaration, until her brain pointed out what was wrong with that sentence. If he missed her, then why didn't he seek her out until now?

The blackette lowered her hands to his chest and began to gently push him away. As a god, Chat Noir had unbound strength and could have easily stayed rooted to his spot. However, Marinette wanted him to back away, and back away he shall, even if he was saddened by it.

"What is it?" he asked, frowning. His cat ears drooped, further displaying his dejection.

"If you missed me so much, then why did you wait so long to see me?" she questioned, crossing her arms together and eyeing him with a stern glare. She adopted the accusing look to mask her hurt at his abandonment.

His green eyes grew wide as he held up his hands in the universal gesture for innocence.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear! AntiBug tricked me into a deep sleep, using another god's powers against me. Plagg was able to wake me up."

AntiBug put him under a spell?! This whole time she berated her for breaking Chat's heart, and then she turns around and does something like that to him?

"Why would she do that?" Marinette angrily asked, fists clenching at her sides. AntiBug and Chat Noir were supposed to be best friends, what kind of friend does what she did?

Her temper flared even more when she remembered how AntiBug showed Chat in the bubble back at the temple when they first met, how he just laid in sleep. She had said that he was so heartbroken that all he could do was sleep, but now she realized that AntiBug herself caused it.

Her lips curled up in a snarl. She _hated_ liars, especially when those lies were about someone she loved.

"Princess, it's okay," Chat reminded, smiling and placing his hands on her shoulders. Her sparks of anger dimmed at the comforting gesture, as her sapphire eyes gazed up at his warm, soft emerald ones.

"I'm okay, we're okay," he whispered, squeezing tighter. "AntiBug will never bother us again, I promise." His jaw set as his eyes roamed over her, his eyebrows creased. "And you will never have to go through anything to get you in your current state again."

Although his vow was meant to be protective and loving, Marinette's cheeks still flushed with shame. She looked away, embarrassed that she had to face him like this.

"Hey," he protested quietly, bringing their gazes back together with his finger under her chin, tilting her head towards him. "I don't care how you look. If you can love me as a stranger with no face in the dark, then I can love you with a little dirt on your nose."

He smiled fondly as he brought a thumb to his mouth and licked it, then guided it to the blackette's nose. He rubbed gently to wipe the dirt off, in turn making her smile back.

"Tell me, what did she make you do?" he murmured. His voice was calm, but there was an underlying, budding anger behind it. She swallowed nervously. While AntiBug did horrible, almost unforgivable things to her and Chat, nobody deserved to suffer his wrath.

"Just some tasks, nothing too bad," she replied, purposely being vague.

He raised an eyebrow, at once catching her lack of the whole truth. "You're skinnier than I've ever seen you, you haven't been eating as much. You have dirt under your nails, and those same nails are chipped. Your hands aren't as soft either, the skin has hardened which only happens when they're put to labor. Your clothes are ripped and there's grime caked all over your skin. You have dark circles under your eyes; you haven't been sleeping as much as you should. Now, I ask you again, _what did she make you do_?"

She cringed at his observations, but knew she had better answer correctly this time.

So it was the second time that day she told a story, only this time leaving out the part of her time with him, skipping straight to AntiBug's tasks and the journeys she had to make. When she finished, he only stared at her in astonishment, until his eyes shone with pain and regret.

"I should've never left you," he murmured sorrowfully, rubbing the pads of his gloved thumbs on her cheeks, careful to mind his claws else he scratch her. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. All of this is my fault."

"Oh no, we are not going back to that again," she scolded, using her own hands to encompass his face. "We agreed it was both our faults, remember?"

At this he scoffed amused, but ultimately nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"Besides," she continued, smirking haughtily. "I can take a little bit of hard work. I worked in a bakery, after all."

This time he laughed, bending down to lightly peck her freckled nose. "I don't doubt you can. So," he paused to take a step back and pick up the box of beauty from the ground. He held it up in the air, tilting his head in curiosity as he observed it.

"A box of Celine's beauty, huh? And how was Celine and Hawk Moth? They were well, I hope?"

"Yes, they were well. Celine was very kind to me, she was almost like a second mother to me. She even brushed my hair." Her lips curved up into a fond smile at the memory of the goddess's gentle strokes of the styling tool.

At the 'second mother' comment, for some reason he smirked, as though he knew something she did not.

"Well, that explains why your hair looks so radiant," he commented, fingering a lock of her dark hair in between his thumb and forefinger. "I'm happy that Maman still has that magical hairbrush."

Marinette stilled as his words sunk in. "M-Maman?" she repeated in bewilderment. So the stories of Celine and Hawk Moth having a son were true?

Adrien grinned. "Yes, Celine and Hawk Moth are my parents. I grew up in the Underworld, but was allowed to come to the surface once in a while. But the other gods and goddesses were terrified of my bad luck and destructive power, so they stayed away from me. However, by coincidence I met AntiBug a few days after she had been born from the sea foam. She didn't know of my powers, which allowed me to become friends with her. I told her after awhile, but by then we were such good friends that she didn't care."

His grin became more lop-sided. "She changed over the years. She developed an interest in me, yet the only thing I wanted was her friendship. She may have been persistent, but she respected my wishes to some degree."

He frowned, picking up the blackette's hand and entwining his fingers with hers. She looked on with her mouth parted in silent wonder.

"I never thought she would actually try to hurt the woman I would eventually grow to love. I never thought she would turn against me." He sighed. "I should've seen it coming."

Marinette inclined her head to the right, not able to hold back her look of sympathy for the betrayed god.

"She was your friend, no one would expect their friend to betray them." She tried not to wince at her ironic words. She was his _wife_ yet she betrayed him! "There was no way you could've seen it coming."

A corner of his mouth lifted, his eyes that were previously cast to the ground looked back into hers. "I suppose you're right."

The two were silent for a few more seconds, just basking in the other's company, relieved to finally see their love again, when Chat eventually sighed.

"She will be expecting you very soon," he spoke, the words hard. "Go to her temple and give the box to her. I have to make a quick trip to the heavens."

"Why?" she asked, referring to his 'quick trip'.

He smiled and turned over their entwined hands to kiss the back of hers. "I have a request to make. I won't be too long, because I expect it to be granted." He let go of her hand and used his own to lightly grip the back of her neck, pulling her closer to plant a loving kiss on her lips. "Have no fear of AntiBug. You will be safe, I'll make sure of it."

She nodded her affirmation, eyes hardened with resolve. Marinette was tired of being afraid of her. She knew that deep down, the goddess was just a scorned, jealous woman. She was no different than many women from her village.

"I'll see you soon," he promised before delivering one last kiss and vanishing into a cloud of black smoke.

It wasn't long after that she felt a strange presence with her. If she didn't know any better, then she would say that there were a over a dozen eyes on her. She bit her lip, glanced at the box in her hands, then picked up her head with a determined gleam in her eyes and resumed her journey.

...

"You again?!" AntiBug screeched, her face bordering red in her fury. "How did you manage to survive? No one goes to the Underwold alive, and no one leaves it alive!"

Marinette refused to be afraid, instead giving the goddess a steely look.

"You wanted a box of Celine's beauty, and I have it. I have completed all of your tasks, AntiBug. In return you promised me that I could see Chat Noir again."

AntiBug gritted her teeth. If looks could kill, Marinette would be burning in the Underworld right then.

"You are never seeing him again. Do you hear me? _Never_! You're not worthy enough. You're not pretty enough! You're not smart enough! You're not enough, **period**!"

"That's where you're wrong!" A high-pitched feminine voice spoke.

Marinette turned, her mouth dropping when she saw Tikki by her side. Her eyes watered at the sight of the little kwami, for she had missed her as well.

"Marinette has proven herself. She is beyond worthy to be with Chat Noir, and he thinks so too. It's over, AntiBug!"

"Yeah!" Trixx chimed in, materializing. "I may be the kwami of illusion and deception, but even _you_ go too far. This girl has more worth in her than you have in one strand of your split-end hair!"

AntiBug paled as she reached for her hair self-conciously.

"And you hurt him," Plagg voiced, appearing also. His cat-eyes were threatening slits as he regarded her. "You think he'll ever want to be with you after forcing him to sleep? And you have the nerve to say that Marinette is stupid?"

The ravenette could only watch completely stupefied as every other kwami materialized. In total, there were seven kwamis, each throwing insults directed at AntiBug and words of protection for Marinette.

It was obvious that AntiBug was stunned. Her icy blue eyes were enlarged, and her bottom lip trembled just the tiniest bit. Her cheeks were reddened with mortification. She didn't speak, taking the barbs with silence.

"You know what?" Plagg suddenly snapped. "I think you need to learn a lesson."

Before either the blonde or blackette could blink, the chaos kwami grabbed the box of beauty from Marinette's hands and held it in front of the confused goddess's face. Without another word he opened it, and Marinette gasped when AntiBug dropped down to the floor in a deep slumber.

"AntiBug! You better not-" Chat Noir spoke, having just returned. When he saw the scene he stopped his words, and at the sound of his voice, the kwamis and Marinette turned to look at him.

His eyebrows rose high as he observed each person, and evidently the sleeping goddess. "What did I miss? What happened? Why is she asleep?"

"I-I don't know," his wife whispered, shaking her head as she tried to process all that has happened in the past few minutes. "The box of beauty of Celine was opened and she just passed out!"

No wonder why Celine cautioned her to not open it.

Chat smirked, snorting and shaking his head. "It doesn't surprise me that my mother would do that. She always did like her tricks."

"She needed to learn a lesson," Plagg huffed, crossing his arms. "She put you to sleep, why not make her sleep too?"

"Haven't you ever heard that two wrongs don't make a right?" Chat lightly scolded, walking over to the fallen AntiBug. "You know I have to wake her, right?"

"Make her sleep for as long as you have," Trixx demanded stubbornly, floating next to Plagg.

"No, it wouldn't be right," Marinette interjected, frowning. "We can't just leave her here to sleep for gods know how long."

"This further proves of how worthy you are, Marinette," Tikki whispered in her ear encouragingly. "Your kind and selfless nature is needed among us."

Before the girl could question, her attention was taken away when Chat called for his cataclysm. He waved his fingers dangerously close to the blonde's face, and after a few seconds she emerged from the dream world completely disoriented.

"What? Where am I?" she asked, looking around, She smirked flirtatiously when she met eyes with the god by her side, only for it to morph into a scowl when seeing her rival and all the kwamis.

"Celine's box caused you to fall asleep," Chat explained, helping her up. "It wasn't a box of beauty, she tricked you."

"What?!" she exclaimed, outraged. "Why I'll-" She was fully prepared for a threat to fall from her lips, when she remembered that Celine was Chat Noir's own mother. The rest of her threat was left hanging in the air as a result.

He raised an eyebrow, daring her to complete her sentence, and was satisfied to hear she had nothing else to say.

"I have been in council with Tortue. He wants all of us to ascend," he announced.

"Tortue?" Marinette repeated, gobsmacked at the name of the leader of the gods. He wanted her to ascend? To the heavens?

AntiBug audibly gulped, yet obeyed and disappeared in a flash of yellow. The kwamis left as well, leaving only the god and mortal.

"Don't worry, it's a good thing, I promise," he assured, taking her by the hand. "I could disappear like AntiBug, but I don't know the impact it has on mortals." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "So I guess we'll have to get there the old-fashioned way."

She was perfectly fine when he wrapped an arm around her waist, her heart even fluttering at the affectionate gesture, but her stomach developed butterflies when her feet began to move from the ground. She tried not to squeak in fear as her arms wound around his middle for support.

"I promise I won't drop you. I have a god's strength, remember?" He grinned cheekily and waggled his eyebrows.

The distraction was enough to momentarily make her forget she was flying as she rolled her eyes at his bravado.

...

In the heavens, Marinette could still barely wrap her mind around anything that was happening. She saw almost every god and goddess she heard in the stories, like Dark Cupid and Reflekta. Both, along with the others, offered her warm smiles. Fragrance even squealed and cooed as she gazed at her and Chat, praising on how such a cute couple they were.

"This will be the love story of the century!" she exclaimed, hands pressed against her cheeks. "The god of destruction taking his mortal lover away, and later having her fight to get him back! Oh yes, the rest of the mortals will surely know of this story!"

Marinette tried not to let her blush show, and as she looked up at Chat, she was mildly shocked that his cheeks were a bit pink as well.

She grinned amusedly and squeezed his hand, liking how he was a blusher too.

She also met Tortue, and to her great surprise, it turned out to be the Oracle and her brief doctor, Master Fu! She had stared absolutely bug-eyed at him, not able to say anything to him. Both Chat and Fu-er-Tortue laughed, before explaining to her that sometimes Tortue masqueraded as a human, to better keep an eye on them and see if any problems arise, such as floods and famine.

"So, um," Marinette mumbled, awkwardly fiddling with her fingers while she looked down at her feet. "Why exactly am I here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chat purred, leaning closer to her with a pleased grin.

She was never one for affection in public, the only kind she can do was holding hands. And so she used her index finger to lightly push his nose, effectively backing him up. He chuckled and resumed his attention to Tortue, who looked down at the couple from his throne with a tender smile.

"Marinette, you have proven yourself beyond worthy of being Chat's Noir's wife. There is no doubt in my mind about it, and it's clear that you two are very much in love and equally devoted to each other," he spoke, chuckling at the way the girl's cheeks darkened in a blush.

"I have come to the decision of letting you become one of us. You shall be immortal, have all the powers of a goddess, and be with Chat Noir for the rest of eternity. What do you say, Marinette? Do you agree?"

The ravenette's mouth dropped for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. She...she was going to become a goddess? The kind that's told about in stories? She'd be with Chat forever? It seemed too good to be true.

"Marinette," he murmured next to her, gathering her attention. He was frowning, almost as if he was nervous. "You don't have to, you know. You can remain mortal, I'd still love you until the end of your days, and for the rest of mine. You don't have to become a goddess."

She offered no reply, instead she bit her lower lip in deep thought.

She had a choice: become a goddess and live forever with Chat, or stay mortal, grow old and die, with Chat and the rest of her friends and family.

If she chose to become immortal, she'd have to watch everyone she love gradually wither and die. She would have to live for an endless amount of years without them, only able to see them in their future descendants. Yet, she'd have her devoted Chat with her through it all.

If she chose to remain mortal, she'd have everything, but would eventually have to give Chat up due to life's eventual end of the run.

Her eyes flickered up to meet his somber ones, who gazed down at her with uncertainty but also with the tiniest hint of hope.

She never wanted to be without him. Call her selfish, but she loved the god too much to give him up.

She would see her friends and family die one day, but Adrien would be there to comfort her through it all and give his support.

Marinette turned back to Tortue, who looked at her with a raised brow and a quirk of his mouth. It seemed he already knew what she was going to pick. She nodded though, just to be sure he knew.

He smiled broadly. "Very well, it shall be done. Ambrosia!"

A god holding a golden tray quickly flew over to the girl, gently handing her the goblet filled with golden liquid before he flew away. She raised the cup to her lips, about to drink, when Chat's voice halted her movement.

"Are you sure? There's no going back," he cautioned.

She gave him a beaming smile. "I'm sure." With that she drank the contents in a few gulps, the liquid making quick work of her body. Her skin glowed with freshness, all traces of dirt gone. Her eyes became just a shade brighter, her lips full and smooth, her black hair becoming even thicker.

When she looked down, she was surprised to see her ripped dress had transformed into a whole, red one with black spots scattered all over it.

"You are now the goddess of good luck and creation, Ladybug. You can Chat Noir are two parts of a whole. Where he brings bad luck and misfortune, you are there to fix the damages and bring forth good fortune. Congratulations, Ladybug, and welcome to our family," Tortue spoke warmly, his eyes crinkling due to his large smile.

Ladybug thanked him with a small courtesy before redirecting her attention to her other half. He was grinning lopsidedly, using the pad of his thumb to trace the back of her hand.

"I have to admit, I'm happy you chose to become a goddess, _bugaboo_ ," he purred, smirking.

"I change my mind," she deadpanned, causing Tortue and Chat to laugh.

"But now," Chat continued as if nothing had happened. "We get to have an actual ceremony." His eyes became alight with new excitement. "We'll have a real wedding, the wedding that will put all others to shame! Of course, it will take awhile, we have to plan, and set up a date, and pick which foods to have, not to mention you'll need the finest dress, and-"

"Hold on, Chaton," she interrupted, bringing her hands up and giggling uneasily. "We-um-we should have the wedding soon. Like, really soon."

Tortue's brown eyes glittered knowingly.

"I know you want to properly marry me, my Lady," Chat joked, winking. "But I want you to have the absolute best, and the absolute best takes time."

Ladybug looked away, biting her lower lip as she pondered of how to tell him. Yes, they were back together, but she had no idea on how he felt on the subject of children. Was it possible that he'd reject her for it?

"Chat, that's very sweet of you, but we can't have the wedding so late. We need to have it immediately. Otherwise...I-uh-may not be able to fit into my dress."

 _Way to go, Marinette. Way to avoid the answer._

His eyebrows lowered, showing that he was confused. "Why not?"

"Well..." Alright, this was it. Time to break it to him. "You see, I'm...well, pregnant." She winced after she delivered the fatal line, squeezing her eyes shut in preparation for his reaction.

When he didn't say anything, she slowly opened her eyes and chanced a peek at him. His green eyes were blown wide, his mouth slightly parted. His eyes drifted down to her flat stomach, pausing there briefly, until raising them up again to look into Marinette's fearful ones.

"Y-You're pregnant? Like, _pregnant_ pregnant?" he asked almost breathlessly.

She nodded, albeit shyly. His reaction made it hard to tell whether he was happy or not. "Yes, I am."

A few more seconds of stunned silence later, his face broke out into a wide, beaming smile. It was the largest, happiest smile she had seen him make thus far. She could see his eyes become moist with unshed tears.

"I'm going to be a father," he whispered. "I'm going to be a father!" He quickly enveloped her in a hug, the action catching Ladybug off guard evidenced by her small squeak. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her to him as his face buried itself into the crook of her neck.

"I can't believe it," he mumbled against her skin, breath hot which sent a pleased shiver down her spine. "I can't believe it," he repeated. This time she felt a distinct wetness on her neck. His tears?

Chat Noir stepped back, taking the time to admire her stomach. He bent down to his knees to take her belly in both hands and press a long, languid kiss against it.

"My own little kitten," he cooed lovingly, planting another kiss on her. "She'll be treated like the most wealthy princess, she will be so spoiled! She'll look just like you, my Marinette, she will be the most beautiful little goddess in all of history."

At his continued praises and promises, Ladybug couldn't hold back her own tears of happiness. However, he did seem very sure on something...

"How do you know it's going to be a girl?" she inquired, lips twitching into a grin.

"I just know," he replied lightly, giving her womb another kiss. "We'll have three beautiful little princesses, and all of them will be just as lovely as their mother."

"I don't know," she mused teasingly, running her fingers through his sunshine mane. "I rather like your golden locks. I'd like for at least one child to have your hair. Besides, what if it's a boy?"

"Then he'll be the most handsome prince," he vowed. "I'll love our baby no matter what gender they are, Princess."

Marinette was about to reply, when she heard the indignant squawk of AntiBug. The couple abruptly turned, watching the vengeful goddess with wary eyes.

Protectiveness for his wife and child fueled Chat Noir, who stood and took a stance close to Ladybug, his fiery orbs just daring her to make a move.

"Ah, AntiBug," Tortue scolded, clicking his tongue. "You've been very troublesome for quite some time now, and all of your strife has been for naught. Marinette is with Chat Noir now, and she has become one of us. You are not allowed to terrorize either of them, do you understand? You need to forgive, and accept," he warned sternly.

The blonde huffed and crossed her arms, cheeks red in mortification although she tried to look disinterested. "Alright. I don't even care about either of them!"

"Good." Tortue nodded. "In addition to your never-ending kindness to this couple, I want you to personally apologize to them, and you are banned from visiting Earth indefinitely. When I feel you have been punished enough, you may return. Also, you will be replacing my serving god until I say so. Do you agree with this?"

"If I don't?" she asked, still stubbornly crossing her arms.

"Then you will be stripped of your immortality and powers. I may not have the power to kill, but I do have the power to deign any god or goddess to a mortal status. Is that what you want?"

"No!" she shrieked, afterwords clearing her throat. She glared at the god and goddess couple, already she didn't like this punishment.

"I deeply apologize," she bit out before disappearing.

Chat sighed dejectedly. "I know it wasn't going to be this easy."

Ladybug, having always been optimistic, smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "She'll warm up to this in time. She'll have to, since I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," she laughed.

"Thank gods for that," he teased, bending down to rest his forehead against hers. "All that matters now is that we can finally be together, with no barriers in the way."

She smiled coyly, rising up on her tip-toes to whisper something in his ear. She giggled when his cheeks turned beet red.

"Sounds like a good plan, kitty," she spoke, flicking his golden bell with a finger.

 _And so ends the tale of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and begins the tale of the Miraculous Ladybug, harborer of good fortune and creation, blessing those worthy with the best of luck. But not far behind is her faithful and loyal husband, Chat Noir, who will curse anyone with bad luck should they incite his ire._

 _Remember, children, be kind and treat your fellow neighbor with good will. For you never know when a ladybug or a black cat will be watching and make due._

...

Holy shizzle I finally finished it! *Deep exhale* Omg it took me so long to type this xD I sincerely hoped you enjoyed :)


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